A Quest For Silver Linings
by QuinnOfConeyIsland
Summary: Thirteen years have passed since Sarah's journey through the Labyrinth and now she is haunted by an old nemesis. She may be done with the Goblin King, but he is not done with her. When he once again fails to make her his queen, Jareth is left with one last hope: to become mortal. Together, he and Sarah embark on a journey through the Underground to find the key to his salvation.
1. Prologue

Sarah Williams did not believe in coincidences. That was why, instead of ignoring all of the signs, she grew suspicious of them. At first, they were just little things. Ordinary things, like one of her students giving her a fruit, but in lieu of the stereotypical apple, it was a peach. Nothing suspicious about that. Still, Sarah was certain that her distrust toward the sweet and succulent fruit had been evident through her hesitation. Nevertheless, she had accepted it with a forced smile as not to hurt the little girl's feelings. The peach was then tossed into the nearest waste bin.

But peaches were the least of her issues. Sometimes when she looked at her watch or any other clock, she could swear that there were thirteen numbers on its face and every now and then she would see a pair of distinctly mismatched eyes looking back at her through a mirror or just about any reflective surface, really. She would never forget those eyes. Would never forget _him_ , even though she thought about him less and less with each passing year. He was almost as good as gone when all of a sudden he was there again to haunt her. She tried telling herself that it was her own subconscious playing tricks. That she was just paranoid. Or maybe she was going insane? After thirteen years of living a perfectly normal life, perhaps this was her inevitable doom? A terrible fate which she could not escape. She would probably end up becoming a crazy old woman, only ever speaking of goblins and other faerie creatures.

It didn't take long for her boyfriend to grow worried. Apparently, her attempts at hiding things from him were poor. Darren always knew when something was amiss. She simply blamed it on work and hoped that he would believe her. There was no way she could tell, but at least he had decided not to ask too many questions. Sarah appreciated that. Darren was a nice man. They had met a couple of years ago at a mutual friend's wedding. It was rather cliché, but they never thought of it that way. Sarah's previous relationships had never lasted longer than a year, so naturally she was pleased to say that this time she had broken the records. She had even moved in to his apartment just about two months ago. Unfortunately, he often worked late nights, being a chef at one of the fancier restaurants in town. The bright side was that he would always make her home cooked dinners that never disappointed. To put it simply: he made her feel good. Good enough to make her forget about everything that haunted her.

Then she saw the owl.

One Monday morning, when she arrived at the school, it was right there, perched on a branch in the maple tree in the schoolyard, watching her. She might not have seen it if it weren't for the fact that most of the leaves had fallen to the ground, yellowed and dry. It was the seventh day of October and unusually chilly. Or was that just a chill running down her spine?

The tree was conveniently placed right outside her classroom and Sarah found herself distracted that day, frequently glancing out the window only to find that the nocturnal bird had not moved an inch. Her students repeatedly had to bring her back to reality. Something was about to happen. Sarah could feel it, just as she could feel that whatever _was_ going to happen… she wouldn't like it.

That night, she dreamt of memories from thirteen years ago. Memories of her running down an endless corridor, of falling down a dark shaft filled with hands reaching for her and wild creatures trying to remove her head. Darren woke her in the middle of the night, telling her that she had been moaning and crying in her sleep. The tears were still fresh on her face, but he was there to dry them away and hold her close. When he asked if it was a nightmare, she merely nodded, not wanting to elaborate any further, for she knew it had been so much more than just a dream. Sarah Williams did not believe in coincidences.

She believed in magic.


	2. Perchance to Dream

_Sleep sugar,_

 _Let your dreams flood in_

 _Like waves of sweet fire,_

 _You're safe within_

 _Sleep sweetie,_

 _Let your floods come rushing in_

 _And carry you over_

 _To a new morning_

 _\- Sleep_ by Poets Of The Fall

* * *

Autumn was Sarah's favourite season of the year. She loved the things it entailed; one being the excitement of getting to teach a new class. Then there were so many colours, not just in the trees, but in the sky as well. Especially this morning, Sarah thought as she drove to work. It looked pinker than usual. She was trying her best to set aside all thoughts about the dream she had had the previous night, but it proved to be a hard task. At least she wouldn't let those thoughts distract her from parking her car right in the middle of the marked space. Being a perfectionist, she wouldn't settle for anything less.

When she passed the maple tree in the schoolyard, the owl was there again to watch her. She glared at it with utmost contempt. "Go away," she muttered. The owl did not budge, but merely followed her with its gaze as she went inside.

She kept the blinds closed in her classroom the entire day. The best decision she had made in a long time. No distraction and no worrying students. Nevertheless, the owl was not invisible to the eyes of curious and observant eleven-year-olds. After their first recess, they did not hesitate to point it out to her. "Ms. Williams, have you seen the owl in the maple tree? It was there yesterday too and on the very same branch! Isn't that strange?"

"Yes, it is quite strange," she agreed, trying to sound unperturbed.

"But why?" She had no answer to that. Or, she _had_ , but it would make no sense to them. At best, they would just laugh it off and at worst, they would think her crazy.

It had been hard to keep the adventure she'd had in the Labyrinth a secret once she and Toby had gotten back home. Sometimes she wondered if he remembered any of it. At least he had never spoken of goblins or a room of staircases that turned you upside down, so he probably didn't. But she had often wished he did. It would have been a huge comfort to have someone to talk to about it. Someone who understood. Someone who wouldn't think she was crazy. Sarah knew that if she had ever brought it up with her parents or her friends, they would only have laughed at her or told her to stop with such nonsense and grow up. And that's exactly what she had done; grown up. The Labyrinth had been the starting point of setting her down that path and, with time, she had accepted it.

Later that day, back in the apartment, Sarah dug out the old leather-bound book from a moving box which had yet to be unpacked. Actually, it was supposed to remain that way. It was simply functioning as a storage for all the things she had once considered her most prized possessions. Things that were too important to ever throw away. Things that would always hold a special place in her heart. Yet now, holding the book in her hand, Sarah wondered if there really was any use in keeping it. Not since the night she had returned from the Underground had she ever opened it up to read. The book was, in a way, a finished chapter of her life. She didn't need it anymore. But even if it _was_ a finished chapter, it was nonetheless an important one. She had never really thought about it, but _The Labyrinth_ was not just _any_ story. It was _her_ story. Give or take a few details. It was a part of who she was. Could you really dispose of something that identified who you were? Contemplating and reminiscing, she traced the gold lettering on the cover with her fingers and gave a start when she heard Darren's voice from above. He looked down at her kneeling position on the floor with a quizzical brow. "Sarah, what are you doing?"

"You scared me," she said with a nervous laugh. "You shouldn't be creeping up on me like that."

"No?" He quirked an eyebrow and moved to sit down on the floor with her. His arms wrapped around her body and he leaned in close to kiss her neck. "You don't like this?" Sarah merely chuckled and captured his lips with her own as they came wandering up her neck.

"You know I do." His golden brown eyes, matching his dark hair, held her green ones and Sarah could see the love shining through them. Then he adjusted his gaze and looked down at the book in her hands and she figured it was time to answer his question. "I'm just looking through some old stuff."

" _The Labyrinth_ ," Darren read aloud. "I've never heard of it before." _Believe me, you don't want to._ She kept that thought to a way, she should feel obligated to share it with him, since it was such a big part of who she was, but just like with everyone else, he would only think her crazy. So to avoid a potential break-up, she simply shrugged.

"It's nothing special. Just a silly story I used to read as a young teen." That was a lie. It _was_ special and by no means silly. She just said it to keep him from asking any further questions. Her plan seemed to work as Darren shrugged in return and immediately changed the subject.

"Okay. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," she said and smiled, knowing what he was going to say next.

"Grilled cheese?"

"Grilled cheese." It was a simple late night snack, but Darren's grilled cheese sandwiches were the best and it had become a tradition for them to have it on Tuesday nights. Dropping the book, Sarah followed Darren into the kitchen.

* * *

 _Stairs. All around her, only stairs. Up and down, upside down, inside out, they were only making her confused. And dizzy. She tried to focus her eyes on one spot. There. A shadow on the wall, right on the other side of the room. She had to catch it. That was the solution. If she caught the shadow, she would find her way out of the gravity-defying room which gave her such a headache. Which way? First down. Then up. Where was it? Above her. No. Below. Her head was spinning. Where exactly was she? And where was the shadow? Over and over she lost track of it. It kept moving, never remaining in the same spot. It was beyond exasperating. Where was it now? She looked down. There it was, looking back up at her._ No more running. Just jump, _she told herself. The shadow echoed her thoughts._ Yes, _it said._ Jump! _It beckoned her and, closing her eyes hard, she took the leap._

She woke up to the feeling of falling and panicked when she thought she was going to tumble out of bed. But nothing happened. She was safe. She was home. Sarah looked to the alarm clock on her nightstand. It was 1:33 AM. Five more hours until it would go off. Turning to the other side, she saw that Darren was sound asleep. _Thank God._ The last thing she needed was for him to get even more worried about her. Feeling that her mouth was dry, she quietly got out of bed and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Why was she having these dreams? Why were all these things happening? Thirteen years had passed without those memories haunting her. Then why? _Why?_ That was the question she kept asking herself and it was infuriating, knowing that the answer was far beyond her reach. But more than anything, it was frightening. Yes, for the first time since that dreadful night her little brother was stolen, Sarah Williams was afraid.

* * *

It was night-time in the Underground and, in the Labyrinth, everything was sound asleep. The moon, this night only half, was keeping watch and lighting up the landscape in a pearlescent glow. On the balcony of the highest tower of his castle, the Goblin King stood, looking out over his kingdom. Out of thin air, he conjured a crystal orb in his hand and looked into it. A satisfied smirk spread across his lips. He was happy to find that she was not unmoved by the dream he had sent her. He watched her fill a glass of water and drink it sip by sip. They say that all good things come to those who wait. And he had waited so long. He brought the crystal to his lips and planted a kiss on the cool surface. "I'll see you soon, my precious thing."

* * *

 **Author's Note: So here we are: the first official chapter! The last one was just a prologue. I cannot tell you enough how excited I am to write this story! I must admit that I have already written quite a lot, but right now each document I have is just a piece that needs to fit into an actual timeline of the plot, so there's a lot of organizing to do.**

 **Is it a bit mainstream to make Sarah a teacher? I know a couple of other fics where the author has given her that particular profession, but I feel like it fits her (and I'm also studying to become a teacher myself, so it feels right at home for me).**

 **I should also mention that the cover image for this story is made by me and you can ceck it out on my DeviantArt page BelleofAvonlea. I am also planning on making illustrations for this story and post them on there, so I will let you know whenever there is an accompanied picture to any of the upcoming chapters. ;)**

 **Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this story and please leave a review or let me know if there's anything I should work on!**

 **Yours sincerely,**

 **\- QuinnOfConeyIsland**


	3. A Goblin Market

_We must not look at goblin men,_

 _We must not buy their fruits:_

 _Who knows upon what soil they fed_

 _Their hungry thirsty roots?_

\- _Goblin Market_ by Christina Rossetti

* * *

Sarah woke from her deep slumber to the jarring sound of the alarm going off. With her face still buried in the pillow, she groped for the snooze button. In a way, she was glad to be awake, because that meant she was no longer trapped in the dream world. At the same time, though, she had been right in the middle of an important conversation _in_ said dream world. She had met the Wiseman again and his funny bird-hat. The memory of the conversation was a bit foggy and she couldn't remember everything the Wiseman had said, but his last words, very familiar to her, were still clear in her head. _Sometimes the way forward is the way back._ What was that even supposed to _mean_? Before she had the chance to ask him, the dream had ended and now she found herself lying flat on her stomach in bed. She could hear Darren taking a shower and marvelled at how he willingly could get up so early in the morning when he didn't even have to be at work until eleven o'clock. If only that were the case for her. She had to be at the school in an hour. Grudgingly, she got out of bed and got dressed.

As expected, the owl was back in the tree in the schoolyard, assuming it had ever left it. At some point it would have to stretch its wings, right? But that did not seem to be on the schedule at the present moment. With claws firmly hooked around the branch it had decided to call home, the owl edged along it as Sarah passed by. Black eyes stared down on her. "Find someone else to pry on," she muttered and looked straight ahead. From now on, she would ignore it completely. There were more important things to focus on.

During her lunchbreak, Sarah received a call from her father. It was nice to hear his voice again. It had to have been a week since they last spoke. "Hey, dad."

" _Hello, sweetheart. How are you?_ "

"I'm good," she replied, telling herself it was at least half true.

" _That's nice to hear. I just called to ask you whether Darren's coming with you tomorrow or not. Karen asked me to get the groceries after I get off from work and I need to know how much I should get."_ _Shit._ It was Karen's birthday tomorrow and Sarah had promised to come over after work for a familial celebration. She felt terrible. You simply did not forget the birthday of a family member. Once upon a time, Sarah would not have called Karen a member of the family, but once she had put her pride aside and actually made an effort to get to know her stepmother, she had quickly realized that Karen was a wonderful woman, wife _and_ mother.

"Right," she said, her voice hollow with regret. "It's her birthday tomorrow." She heard a faint chuckle from the other end and could clearly picture her father shaking his head at her.

" _It's all right,_ " he assured. " _But have you talked with Darren about it?_ " Thankfully, she didn't have to feel _all_ that guilty.

"Yes, I have. Unfortunately, he can't come. He's working late tomorrow."

" _Okay, well that's too bad. I guess we'll have to meet some other time, then. How is he, by the way? Everything all right between the two of you?_ " She knew he was hoping for a positive answer. Unlike previous times. Her father had been sceptical towards the number of boyfriends his daughter had had in her life and he had never hesitated to tell her so. With Darren, however, it was different. Robert practically _adored_ him and would, without a doubt, be overjoyed to one day call him his son-in-law. Sarah smiled.

"Everything's great." Was that a sigh of relief she heard?

" _That's wonderful, sweetheart._ " He made a pause. " _I'm happy for you._ "

"Thanks, dad. I'll see you tomorrow."

" _See you tomorrow._ "

* * *

 _Her cheek was brushing against something, but it wasn't soft like her pillow. It wasn't fabric, not even flesh, which led her to the disappointing conclusion that her head was_ not _peacefully resting on Darren's chest. No, it felt rougher than that and it was itching her skin. Slowly, she opened her eyes and immediately jerked away from a wall of green leaves, only to end up backing into another one. Sarah stepped away from it, afraid that the hedge would grow a pair of arms and pull her into it and swallow her whole. Her breathing quickened as she came to the horrifying realization that she was in the middle of a hedge maze. When she felt the cold ground beneath her bare feet, she also acknowledged that she was still in her nightwear: a white tank top with blue shorts._ You're dreaming again, Sarah _, she thought to herself reassuringly._ Just close your eyes hard and you'll be back in your bed again. _She squeezed them shut and slowly counted to ten in her head before opening them again, one lid at a time. Sarah groaned. Nothing had happened. If this was a dream, she had a feeling it was not on her own terms._

 _She flinched as something suddenly floated past her head. It was a bubble, no bigger than her hand. Its iridescent surface glistened even in the moonless dark. The transparent orb kept floating through the air, drifting farther and farther away from her. Soon, it would be gone, either by bursting against the hedge at the very far end, or by turning left or right._ Good riddance _, she thought to herself, then turned around to head the other way._ _The problem was that there_ was _no other way. It was a dead end. Nope, this dream was_ definitely _not on her terms._

 _Grudgingly, she turned back around. The bubble was hovering mid-air, as if watching her. It was waiting for her to follow it. She folded her arms and shook her head at it. There was_ no _way she was following_ that _. "If you think you can fool me, you're wrong," she said. "I'm not that stupid." Not unexpectedly, the bubble did not speak, but kept on hovering in the air. Sarah bit her bottom lip as she remembered the words of an old friend._ What choice have you got? _She heaved a sigh of defeat. "I'm never going to wake up if I don't follow you, right?" she asked the bubble, despite the fact that it was unable to answer. She let her arms fall back to her sides and as soon as she took a step forward, the bubble resumed soaring down its destined path. Sarah followed a little ways behind._

 _They turned left, right, right again, then another left. She wanted to ask the bubble where exactly it was taking her, but, knowing it wouldn't answer, she kept her mouth shut. At this point, they had taken so many turns, Sarah believed they had been walking around in circles. Suddenly, the bubble stopped, right before another right turn. Sarah stopped, too and she picked up a faint sound; a sound of whispering. The bubble vanished round the bend and Sarah followed it, curiosity getting the best of her. She quickly realized she had arrived at the centre of the maze and was now greeted by a gathering of some very grotesque creatures. Goblins. Goblins of all different sizes and shapes. The one thing they_ did _have in common was that they were all carrying either a tray or a basket filled with fruits. Apples, pears, plums, cherries, grapes, you name it. Now why did this seem so familiar? Suddenly, it hit her._ _In college, Sarah had been forced to write an analysis of the poem_ Goblin Market _for her literature class and, frankly, she just wanted to forget the whole thing. It reminded her too much of what had happened in the past. A past she was now reliving._

 _The goblins held up their trays and baskets, offering her the wide range of their market. Her eyes landed on one of the apples, its peel a glowing bright red. It had to be the size of her hand. Absentmindedly, she licked her lips and reached for it. More than a dozen pairs of beady, dark eyes followed her every move. Her fingers stopped mere inches away from the blood red treat. The goblins held their breaths in anticipation. She had to take it. She had to eat it. How could she possibly resist?_ Don't take it _, her voice of reason said and she remembered the lines in the poem;_ "Their fruits like honey to the throat. But poison in the blood."

 _She ran. She had to get away from there. Had to get back to the real world. There simply_ had _to be a way to get back. Gravel pricked the soles of her feet and the pain caused tears to fall down her cheeks, but still she kept running. She could take it. Somewhere in the dark, a soft voice, carried by the wind, echoed through the maze. "Don't you think you've run far enough, little girl?"_

Her eyes flew open and she gasped. She was still breathing hard like she had in the dream. Her mouth was dry, craving water and, swallowing, she tasted blood. The back of her tank top was drenched in cold sweat, as was her forehead. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and winced in pain as she stood up. Her feet were sore. Careful not to wake Darren, she made her way over to the bathroom and locked herself inside. Upon flipping the light switch, she squinted for a couple of seconds before opening her eyes fully. She let cold water run from the faucet and drank directly from it. Then, once she'd quenched her thirst, she filled her hands with water and washed the sweat and tears off her face. After drying herself with a towel, she sat down on the toilet lid to examine her feet. At least they did not _look_ as bruised as they felt, but that was a minor consolation. The fact that she could feel the effects of running, even though she had never left the bed, to _her_ knowledge at least, was most disturbing. And then she had heard the voice. _His_ voice. She had recognized it in an instant. A chill ran down her spine at the memory of it and she found herself wondering, not for the first time in her life, if _she_ ever crossed _his_ mind as well.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so I know that the poem by Christina Rossetti is sort of overused within this fandom, but that's only because it fits so well and I really could not resist incorporating it into this story. If you haven't read the poem, I really recommend you do, because it's really good (I think, at least). You can easily find it on the internet. Another good read I recommend is another Labyrinth-fic called The Goblin Market by Viciously Witty. It is considered to be one of the great fics in the fandom, so I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's a little darker than this one will be, though. I can tell you that much, even though my story is also rated M. Oh, and great, I just realized that I named my first chapter exactly the same as she did in her story. Nope, I don't look like a copy cat at all. *Irony***


	4. Wishful Thinking

_In sleep he sang to me_

 _In dreams he came_

 _That voice that calls to me_

 _And speaks my name_

 _And do I dream again?_

 _For now I find_

 _The Phantom of the Opera is there_

 _Inside my mind_

\- _The Phantom of the Opera_ from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera

* * *

"Were you having nightmares again?"

Those were the first words Darren spoke when he joined her at the breakfast table. Sarah had feared he might have noticed. She looked down at the coffee cup in her hands and hugged it tighter. Heat spread through her fingers and palms.

"That obvious, huh?" Her voice was hoarse.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The offer was gentle, just like the little hopeful smile on his lips. She regretted having to decline it as she shook her head slowly. "Are you sure? It might make the nightmares stop." In response, a sad smile formed on her lips. His naivety was really endearing. But nothing was ever that simple.

"That's only wishful thinking," she said. "I seriously doubt it would work." He watched her bring the cup to her lips to take a sip of her coffee and wondered why he always had to fall for the stubborn women. But he wasn't giving up.

"How can you know if you don't even try?" When she put the cup back down, he took the opportunity to grab one of her hands. "Sarah…" His pleading tone forced her to look up through her lashes and into his eyes. " _Please_. Talk to me." Her lips parted and she inhaled a breath. The words were at the tip of her tongue and there was nothing she wanted more than to be honest with him. But some things were best left unspoken. She breathed out and reluctantly withdrew her hand from his gentle hold.

"Later," she lied, deliberately avoiding his gaze as she got up from her chair. "I have to go to work." Putting her cup down in the sink, she instantly started to miss the feel of its warmth in her hands. "And don't forget that I'm going to my dad's this afternoon. I don't know when I'll be back home." It took him a few seconds of silence to answer.

"Okay. Tell everyone I said hi."

"I will."

* * *

She picked up a bouquet of pink roses on her way from work. They were Karen's favourites. When she rang the bell, her stepmother was right there to open the door and welcome her inside. "Sarah, how nice of you to come! It's so good to see you again."

"You too. Happy birthday!" She handed the flowers to Karen, who accepted them with a gracious smile.

"Thank you, Sarah! They're lovely." Karen embraced her stepdaughter and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "I know just the place for these." She headed into the kitchen and called up the stairs for Robert and Toby to come down. Sarah had just taken off her jacket and shoes when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hey, sis!" Toby greeted her with a smile and a hug, which she promptly returned.

"Hey, kid!" She took a step back to get a good look at him. He still had the same blond curls, same blue eyes and same boyish smile which was almost too innocent for his own good. His voice, however, was becoming more like a man's and much less like a boy's and Sarah swore he had grown at least an inch since their last encounter. He was almost as tall as her now. It wasn't fair. "Although I don't know if I should call you that anymore." There was just a hint of sadness in her voice. Where was the baby brother she had once been foolish enough to wish away?

Their father came down as well and Sarah received another hug. "Hi, sweetheart! Glad you could make it." Karen returned to the parlour with the bouquet of roses, which had been tended to with care and put in a glass vase.

"Robert, have you seen the roses Sarah brought me? Aren't they just exquisite?" She put the vase down on a small, round table.

"They certainly bring colour to the room," Robert replied, discreetly agreeing with his wife.

"Well, then," Karen clapped her hands together, "everyone into the dining room. Dinner will be ready in just a minute."

Sarah and Toby sat next to each other on one side of the table, facing their parents on the other. Sarah helped herself to some vegetables. "So how's school?" she asked her brother, who was eyeing the broccoli on her plate with disgust. She smiled knowingly. He had never liked broccoli. Or peas, for that matter, even though he was picking at them right now on his own plate. Karen had forced him to. He shrugged.

"Good, I guess." Sarah quirked a brow.

"You guess?"

"Toby, you're being modest now," Karen said. "I'd say you're doing really well. Do you want to tell your sister about the assignment in your English class?" This peaked Sarah's interest.

"What about your English class?" Toby smiled timidly.

"We had this assignment where we were supposed to write a short story."

"And…?"

"And my teacher really liked my writing, so she persuaded the editor of the school paper to publish it in their next issue." She could tell he was proud of himself. That boyish smile was back in place, revealing his excitement and his happiness.

"Toby, that's wonderful!" She put an arm around his shoulder, giving him a side hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Sarah."

"It's a good story, too," Robert added. "And very well written."

"What's it about?" Sarah asked and hoped Toby would let her read it.

"It's about goblins." She choked on her broccoli. Karen dropped her fork and knife with a clatter, alarmed at the way Sarah was coughing.

"Sarah, are you all right?" she inquired solicitously. Sarah waved a hand dismissively and used the other to bring her glass of water to her mouth.

"I'm fine," she said and coughed a little more before drinking. She could feel her face was flushed.

"See?" Toby said. "That's what broccoli will do to you."

* * *

Sarah couldn't sleep. Or rather, she didn't _want_ to. She was afraid. What would she be dreaming about next? And if she _did_ have a dream, would she be able to get out of it? What if she fell asleep and never woke up again? But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't stay awake forever. Her needs were far stronger than her wants. After having fought the somnolence for hours, when it was 2:46 in the morning, Sarah was unable to keep her eyes open a minute longer.

* * *

At 8:37 AM, Ms. Williams came rushing into the classroom where her students were already waiting for her. She was late. Ms. Williams was never late. Her students exchanged glances and whispers. What was up with their teacher these days? The woman in question could only imagine what they must be thinking. Nevertheless, she went on pretending as if everything was normal. "Good morning everyone. Please come to the front desk and hand in your homework for today." She might have overslept, but at least she had been lucky enough to have a dreamless sleep. For that, she was very grateful.

The day carried on. The hours passed by. Outside, the sun had already set and the moon was full. Sarah was in her office, correcting homework on overtime. She had a hard time keeping her eyes open. Being deprived of sleep for almost an entire week had taken its toll on her. Thank God it was Friday. Then she would have the whole weekend to catch up on her sleep. She imagined sleeping in till late morning and Darren surprising her with breakfast in bed. As if on cue, she started to feel hungry. _Just a couple more papers and then I can go home._ Suddenly, the lights went out and the room was nearly pitch black. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. So there was a power failure. _Great. Just what I need._

She went for the door and opened it, hoping to find that the lights were still on in the hallway. They weren't. It was just as dark as her office and there was not a soul in sight. Nothing but silence. She looked back and forth between the two optional directions. _Would you go left or right?_ Sarah bit her lip and pondered. This wasn't the Labyrinth. This was a school. _Her_ school. It shouldn't matter which way she went. And yet… it did. Eventually, she turned right and started walking, her footsteps echoing in the hallway. She walked on until she came to a stop in front of two doors. _One of them leads to the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth and the other one leads to certain death._ Left or right? She chose the latter. Yet again, she found herself in a dark room, but her office was nothing compared to this. She couldn't see a damn thing, no matter how long she was in there. It was like the oubliette all over again. She groped for the door to go back, but it was nowhere to be found. Her heart started racing when, suddenly, a small orb of light flickered to life in the room. It hovered mid-air. A spark of hope. _Hoggle?_ Was he really there to save her again? As she moved closer to the orb, it floated sideways until it reached the wall and a door was illuminated. The orb disappeared through the keyhole and there was a clicking sound, followed by the door swinging open. Sarah peeked out from behind it and saw that it led to a stairway. For the third time in less than five minutes, she had two options. _Up or down?_ She chose down.

She only had to go down two flights to get to the very bottom. This was the basement. Here, there was only one door to take her further. Big, golden letters adorned the front. _DRESSING ROOM._ Sarah went for the handle and pulled. The door was unlocked. She stepped over the threshold and, though she jumped, she was relieved when the lights were turned back on. To her right, there was a wardrobe filled with costumes galore. Out of sheer curiosity, she browsed through the collection and stopped every now and then to admire a specifically intricate dress. But then one of the simpler dresses caught her eye and she took it out, holding it in front of her. It was a white renaissance dress with long, wide sleeves and a sash around the waist. It looked so much like the dress she'd once loved wearing as a young teenager. She still had it, unable to throw such a precious thing away. It had been a present from her mother. A costume from a theatre production of Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream._ There was no chance she would fit into it anymore. The dress she was holding in front of her _now_ however… _What could it hurt?_

She kept her jeans and t-shirt on and stepped into the dress with ease. Thankfully, there was a zipper in the back instead of lacing. Looking into a full body mirror, she made a twirl and watched the dress swirl around her legs. For a brief moment, she felt like a little girl again, lost in a dream world, her troubles far gone.

Then she heard the voice.

She stopped twirling and the skirt of her dress fell back down around her legs. Somewhere above, her name was being called, although it sounded more like a whisper. " _Sarah._ " Her first instinct was to run. The problem was that her feet would not move. At least not in the direction she wanted. The door behind her was closed, but the one in front of her was wide open, revealing a staircase leading up to the stage; to where the voice was coming from. Involuntarily, her feet shuffled across the floor and up the steps that creaked beneath the lightest touch. There was already a spotlight in the centre, waiting for her. Like a born natural, she stepped into the light and looked out over the non-existent crowd. When you were sitting in the audience, the auditorium didn't seem that big, but being up on the stage gave Sarah a whole new perspective. Even though no one was there, she thought she was getting stage-fright. But that wasn't her greatest concern as of now.

Turning her back on the empty seats, she looked around the stage area, expecting him to creep out of the shadows at any moment. She waited for several minutes. What was taking him so long? _Afraid to face me, Goblin King?_ She never said the words out loud, which was why she froze again when he answered her in a perfectly audible voice. It was no longer a whisper, but there was still no telling where exactly it came from. It was like it came from everywhere and nowhere.

" _You think me a coward, Precious? Or maybe you're just longing to see me again after all this time?_ " She snorted at that.

"You wish. I have no intentions of seeing _you_ again," she addressed the empty spaces around her.

" _And yet…_ " She drew in a sharp breath when she heard him whisper right next to her ear. His breath was like a soft caress that tickled against her skin. " _…you followed the sound of my voice._ " Her breath caught in her throat as invisible lips placed a light kiss on her cheek. She reached out to grab him, but all she caught was thin air. With a frustrated groan, she fell to her knees. The spotlight vanished and everything was dark again.

* * *

 **A/N: To those of you who have been waiting for more Jareth: this was a little teaser of what's to come. You will see much more of him in the next chapter. ;) Hope you're all enjoying the story so far. I know not much has happened yet, but very soon it will. I promise. ;)**


	5. At the Ball

_Sweet dreams are made of this_

 _Who am I to disagree?_

 _I travel the world_

 _And the seven seas_

 _Everybody's looking for something_

\- _Sweet Dreams_ _(Are Made of This)_ by Eurythmics

* * *

"Ms. Williams? _Ms. Williams?_ "

A gentle, masculine hand placed itself on Sarah's shoulder and she stirred back to life. Opening her eyes, she saw the janitor kneeling at her side with a concerned look on his face. "Mr. Stevens?" Her voice sounded just like it did every morning upon waking up; tired and hoarse. "What are you doing here?" The elder man laughed heartily, shaking his head.

"My dear Ms. Williams, I think the question is: what are _you_ doing here?" Her eyes widened and she shot up into a sitting position. She was still on the stage in the auditorium. The lights were back on. Looking down at herself, she found that the dress she'd been wearing was gone. But she had put it on, hadn't she? Or had it all been just another dream?

"I –" She wasn't sure what to answer, since she did not know the whole truth. "– I guess I was sleepwalking." That was the only logical reason she could think of. Mr. Stevens laughed again and helped her to her feet.

"Well, I suggest you go sleepwalking at home. It's late. You're lucky I came in here to check on things before I left, or you would have spent the night on this stage."

"Yeah, you were checking on the power failure, weren't you?"

"Power failure?" he repeated with a furrowed brow and then shook his head. "There was never a power failure."

She knew the way to her office from the auditorium like the back of her hand. Looking down at the watch around her wrist, she picked up her pace when she realized it was a quarter past seven. Darren would have been home for an hour or so now, this being one of the few days he got off early. He was probably worried sick. Sure enough, as soon as she reached her office, she picked up her cell phone on the desk to find she had over ten missed calls and text messages. Not just from Darren, but from her father as well. She called Darren first to let him know she was okay. He sounded both relieved and upset at the same time. Perhaps even angry? If he _was_ indeed angry with her, then she wouldn't blame him. All she could do was feel guilty. When she called her father, however, there was no anger. Only relief. He would easily get worried about her and Toby. Sometimes Sarah wondered if he had forgotten that she wasn't a little girl anymore. But then again, wasn't it like that with all fathers? Perhaps one day when she had kids of her own, she would understand.

When she came home, Darren was sitting in front of the TV watching some show. He never got up from his seat. Never said a word. He only looked at her with an empty stare, which made her feel rather uncomfortable. After a minute of silence, she found the courage to speak, although her voice was rather small and somewhat sheepish, as if she were coming home to an angry parent after a late night party. "Hey."

"It's good to see you." His voice was flat, carrying no emotion whatsoever. Did he really mean it at all? There was no way to keep the wave of doubt from washing over her. She opened her mouth to speak again, but nothing came out. She was too exhausted. Deciding she didn't want to stand there looking like a fool, she went straight to the bedroom. She left the door open by just a crack and started to change into her nightwear at a leisurely pace. Every now and then she glanced at the door. No one pushed it open. No one was there. Not even after she'd crawled underneath the covers did he come. She waited for a few more minutes and then, gathering he didn't want to talk, turned off the light on her nightstand and lay down to sleep.

* * *

 _The ballroom was dimly lit by candlelight. A chandelier hung from the high, painted ceiling. She craned her neck to get a good look and instantly recognized the image. There were plenty of illustrations depicting that very same scene in the history of poetry, but no matter what the differences were, you always knew what it was. This depiction was entirely unique, but no less recognizable. If anything, it only seemed more realistic and lifelike than any of the others she had seen. If you stood directly below the chandelier, there was no way of seeing her, but from Sarah's spot in one of the corners, you had a good view of the young woman with long, golden hair and alabaster skin. Her pink lips were plump and her blue eyes were big and deep like the ocean. A long, flowing white dress covered her body and all around her were the impish creatures Sarah knew all too well. The goblins huddled around the woman, yellow and red eyes glowing with malice, sharp and ragged fangs bared in wicked grins. They were waiting for her to bite into the fruit in her hand. The fruit they had given her. A peach. Sarah could see the woman was tempted. It was the look on her face that gave it away. A look of wistfulness. The slightly parted lips and the big, innocent doe eyes, so unlike those of the goblins._

 _Her neck started to hurt and Sarah looked down from the ceiling to observe the room instead. It was all too familiar, crowded by people in fancy costumes, but unlike last time, they weren't wearing any masks. Their faces were perfectly visible. They were having a good time, telling jokes and sipping on drinks in cocktail glasses. So far however, there was no sight of_ him _. Was she to feel relieved or disappointed?_

 _Still standing in the corner, away from the crowd, she looked around for a mirror. It was right behind her. Even_ she _had to admire the image reflected in the glass. Her dark hair was curled, resting on her left shoulder. As for her makeup, it was simple, yet classy; red lips and black, smokey eyes. The dress she wore was an off-the-shoulder crimson ball gown and covering her hands and forearms was a pair of black evening gloves. Turning around to have a look at the back, her suspicions were confirmed. It was open, all the way down to where her spine curved. She thought it had seemed a bit draughty._

 _She looked out over the crowd again and listened closely to the soft music playing. It made her feel at ease and before she knew it, her feet were taking her out onto the dancefloor. If couples were dancing, they stopped when she passed by and never took their eyes off her. All of a sudden, people started whispering. Who was the woman in the red dress? She was undeniably beautiful. The men desired her and the women envied her. Sarah could feel that she was being watched. Right in the middle of the floor, she stopped and looked around. All eyes were on her. For some reason, she was expecting the dancers to start laughing, just like last time. She wasn't supposed to be here. She didn't fit in. In spite of her fears, no one laughed. All they did was stare and she wondered which was really worse. The next thing she knew, every man in the room was abandoning his lady to form a line in front of her. She was so bewildered, she didn't know how to react or what to say. This had never happened before. One after the other, the men came to stand in the line which only grew longer and longer. To her surprise and relief, there was no fuss about it. They didn't fight about who would get the first dance, but accepted their place in the line and patiently waited for their turn. The first one looked quite young, maybe around her own age. His dark hair was slicked back and he wore a red jacket with gold buttons, conveniently matching her. He bowed and extended a white gloved hand. She accepted it. Rising back to his full length, his other hand went to rest on her waist and he started leading her into a waltz._

 _It went on like this with Sarah dancing one round after the other, each time with a new partner. The women stood by watching with jealousy and disgust and she felt a bit sorry for them. After all, they had come here to dance and, without a partner, it was rather pointless. Then, suddenly, they dropped their contemptuous glares and turned their heads in another direction, craning their necks and pushing each other around to get a glimpse of something apparently very intriguing. Sarah was confused by this and as her current partner kept twirling her around, she had to readjust her gaze accordingly in order to see what the other women were seeing. She could hear their excited whispering and giggling;_

" _It's the king!"_

" _Isn't he handsome?" Sure enough, the crowd of women split down the middle to allow His Majesty to make his grand entrance. As he passed them, a lot of the women swooned. It made her want to throw up. He was looking rather suave, oozing the confidence and swagger of a peacock. At first glance, you might actually mistake him for one. His long tailcoat was azure blue, but the tail of it faded into an emerald green, just like that of a peacock. Sarah nearly laughed out loud at the thought._ How befitting.

 _Stopping to swap partner again, she prepared herself for him to come forward and cut in. Alas, he did no such thing. He didn't even as much as_ look _at her. She felt strangely offended. She was sure he had seen her. There was no way he_ couldn't _have! Especially now when she was so close. Her heart skipped a beat when his eyes finally drifted her way. He met her gaze and she allowed herself a victorious smile._ There, you see me now, don't you? _He held her eyes for maybe a second longer before turning away again with a smile of his own. Was that it? Was that all he would give her? Apparently not. As if it wasn't enough that he ignored her, he had to approach one of the women and ask her to dance with him. Sarah never actually heard him ask, but she could clearly see him grab the woman's hand and kiss it._ Fine, _she thought._ Rub it in my face all you want! _Two could play at that game._

 _Sarah took her next admirer by surprise by grabbing his free hand and roughly placing it on the small of her back. The poor gentleman seemed hesitant at first, but did not protest against her preferences. Jareth had already started dancing with the other woman and he seemed to be paying attention only to her. She was pretty, too. A dainty little redhead in a deep blue gown. The rest of the women had now followed the men's example and formed a line, eager to get a dance with the Goblin King. Determined to get closer, Sarah almost ended up taking the lead as she indicated her partner to take them where she wanted to go. When they got close enough, she did not hesitate to look Jareth straight in the eye and, at the same time, shamelessly pressing herself closer to the man she was dancing with. She should have known better. In turn, Jareth mimicked her move and pulled the redhead even closer to him. The woman blushed a deep red that matched her fiery hair. Sarah narrowed her eyes. Someone really had to wipe that smug smile off his face._

 _When it was time for the next swap, Sarah turned her back on the men and stomped directly over to the women's side, deliberately cutting in line. The women were protesting, but they had no say in the matter. The king had made up his mind. He took her hand in his and Sarah let him place the other on her back. The smooth fabric of his glove tickled her skin as it slowly moved from her shoulder blades down to her waist and she wished she had worn a different dress. He pulled her to him and her free hand went to rest on his shoulder. Should he decide to invade her dance space, she was prepared to push him away. The rest of the people in the room faded into oblivion as the two adversaries took off into a waltz. Sarah did not waste one second to confront him. "All right, Goblin King. What's this all about? What's going on?" He pretended to be clueless, but there was nothing innocent about it._

" _I believe we're dancing." She glared at him._

" _Tell me something I don't know. Why are you here?"_

" _Don't ask me. This is_ your _dream." He was simply impossible._

" _Then why do I feel like it's not? Come on, we both know this is more than just a dream. What do you want?" He decided to ignore the question._

" _You look absolutely ravishing. I'm not surprised so many gentlemen fell in line just to dance with you."_

" _Don't even go there!" she snapped at him. "I'm not interested in hearing any of your flattery." At this, he chuckled darkly and gave her a sideways grin that made her skin crawl. She caught a glimpse of his teeth, sharp like the fangs of a hungry wolf, and realized she was the innocent deer lost in his woods. He leaned in closer to her face. His voice was low and husky._

" _Then you shouldn't have tried so hard."_

 _She fell silent, remembering how she had tried to get his attention only minutes before. She must have seemed so desperate. It was enough to make her feel disgusted with herself. Sarah wriggled free of his hold and as their dance came to a stop, so did the music. The others had left, leaving the ballroom empty. Her voice echoed as she spoke. "Jareth, why are you here? Why now? It's been thirteen years." Something akin to astonishment flashed in his differently coloured eyes and his face softened for a moment, making her realize she had just used his name for the first time._

" _The longest thirteen years of my life," he said after a short pause, then took a step forward, looking to close the distance she had put between them and not just physically speaking. Sarah stood her ground, keeping her head held high to let him know she wasn't afraid. "But I have waited patiently," he continued, taking another step. For some reason, the closer he got, the smaller she felt. There was something in his words that frightened her. When he stopped mere inches away, she forced herself to meet his burning gaze._

" _Waited for what?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice. He reached out and ran his fingers through her dark curls, seemingly lost in thought. If only she could tell what he was thinking of. Reluctantly, Jareth let his hand fall back to his side._

" _I guess I'll have to wait just a little longer." She watched him back away and as he did, the candles started to burn out. One by one, the flames were suffocated and the room grew darker and darker._

" _Jareth!" she called. How dare he leave her like this? She wanted answers, god damn it! "Jareth!" She started running after him, but the darkness was quicker. He disappeared into the shadows. "JARETH!" The only reply she got was the echo of his name. She looked up at the chandelier to watch the last candles burn out, knowing that once they did, she would wake up. Before it happened, her eyes fell on the woman with the golden hair. The painting looked exactly like before, except for one thing…_

 _She had taken a bite out of the peach._

* * *

 **A/N: As promised, I gave you more Jareth! I hope I didn't disappoint. I think Jareth was a bit disappointed, though. Sarah won't let him invade her dance space. "This is my dance space. This is _your_ dance space." Dirty Dancing reference. ;)**


	6. A Friend in Need

_All alone_

 _On the edge of sleep_

 _My old familiar friend_

 _Comes and lies down next to me_

\- _Breaking Down_ by Florence + The Machine

* * *

Saturday mornings usually started with a few minutes of snuggling in bed; the key word being _usually_. _This_ Saturday did not start that way. Out of habit, Sarah lazily reached for the warm body lying next to her, but the only thing she felt between her fingers were the rumpled sheets. Her eyes cracked open. The bed was empty, meaning that Darren was already up. She rolled over to look at her clock. It was almost 9:30. She'd been asleep for thirteen hours. As the thought struck her, so did the memories of her dream. Even though hours had passed, she could still remember every second of it. If she closed her eyes, she could see the ballroom and the dancers. Could smell the perfumes and the melting wax of the candles. Could feel the touch of a hand caressing her skin. She shuddered. What was her Goblin King playing at? What did he want? Drawing a shaky breath, she tried to compose herself and clear her head. Letting her fears show was not an option. She had a feeling Darren wouldn't let it slip this time and, more than that, she didn't know if she could bear lying to him again. With one last calming breath, she put on her robe and went into the kitchen.

Somehow it felt weird to say good morning when you'd never said good night. Darren was at the breakfast table, nearly finished. He wasn't smiling, like he used to when she walked into the room. "Good morning," she said, trying to sound cheerful. He eyed her every move as she sat down and helped herself to a glass of orange juice.

"Good morning." He didn't sound _half_ as cheerful as her, which, in this case, was much closer to the opposite. An awkward tension fell between them. Sarah did not speak, although the way Darren was looking at her suggested he was waiting for her to do just that. She avoided meeting his gaze and pretended to be preoccupied with her sandwich. Breaking the silence, he suddenly asked, "Did you sleep well?" She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Better than last night anyway."

"I can imagine. You didn't seem so troubled. You seemed to be… _enjoying_ yourself."

That's when the tension went from being awkward to downright insufferable. Sarah stopped eating, her appetite – perhaps even her _dignity_ – lost. She didn't even want to think of what Darren might have said, had he been in the dream with her. But the way he was acting now implied that it was enough just watching her in her sleep. _Oh, God, what have I done?_ She had already given herself away, but gave a shot at pretending to be clueless nonetheless. "What do you mean 'enjoying myself'?"

"You know what I mean," he said. "Who's Jareth?" _Damn._ This was not happening.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she insisted. Darren huffed and got up from his seat.

"Oh, really? Then why did you say his name? Yeah, that's right, you were talking in your sleep again," he added before she could open her mouth. "I think I know what's going on. Why you're having trouble sleeping." She just wanted him to shut up before he made a fool of himself. He couldn't possibly know what was going on. "I didn't say anything about it, because I know you hate it when I ask so many questions. But last night, everything fell into place." He paused, giving her a chance to come clean, but Sarah really had no idea where he was going with this. "You're cheating on me, aren't you?"

 _That's_ what he thought was going on? She almost laughed out loud at the thought, but remained silent as Darren continued. "You didn't fall asleep last night in your office. No, you were with that Jareth bloke, weren't you?" Silence. " _Weren't you?_ " She flinched at his raised voice.

" _No!_ " she retorted with a tone that matched his and got up to face him. "Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I? You've been acting so weird lately. If you're not cheating on me, then what's going on? _Tell me!_ " _Tell you what, Darren? That I keep dreaming of a fantasy world where I once went to save my brother?_ He wouldn't believe her. No one would.

"I can't." He gave a final nod.

"Fine. Then don't." He turned his back and left the kitchen.

* * *

What she needed was a chance to relax and clear her thoughts and the best way of doing that was through exercise. The autumn air was always a bit chilly in the morning, so Sarah put on her blue Nike hoodie to keep her warm. With her hair in a ponytail and trainers on her feet, she was ready to go. "I'm going for a run," she told Darren, who was now where she had found him last night; in the living room, watching TV. "Do you wanna come?" It couldn't hurt asking and, hopefully, it would make him understand that she wanted to make amends.

"Not now," he said, not once taking his eyes off the TV. "I'm busy." She took one glance at the screen and pursed her lips. _Yeah, busy watching reruns of Dallas._ If he was going to keep moping, then she wouldn't even bother.

"I can see that." She shut the door with a slam.

Going for a run was just what she needed. It proved to be a good way of releasing her anger. If only she'd had a punching bag, too. Sarah couldn't believe how Darren could be so childish. He wouldn't listen to her, nor would he accept her invitation to a reconciliation. What did he want her to do? Apologize? For what? She had done nothing wrong. If only there was a way to get rid of dreams. She slowed down and stopped by a bench on the sidewalk, using it to stretch her legs. Her heart was beating fast and she could feel the sweat running down her back. It would be nice to have a shower once she got back to the apartment. She jumped at the sound of flapping wings above her head and looked up. It was the owl again, looking back down on her from a lamppost. "And I thought I was rid of you," she panted. It was foolish of her to have believed otherwise. Without hesitation, she turned and ran straight back home.

Whether the owl had followed her or not, Sarah did not know, but was glad to find that it was nowhere to be seen when she arrived at the apartment building, only seconds before a bus came rolling to a stop by the sidewalk. She knew who was going to get off that bus. It was Saturday and, though she had no watch, the arrival of the bus told her it was 10:45 AM and that meant Mrs. Fletcher had come back home from the supermarket. Sure enough, there she was, two bags of groceries in her hands and waving the bus driver goodbye. Mrs. Fletcher lived on the second floor just below Sarah and Darren. The woman was in her seventies, but had the spirits of a thirty-year-old. She was renowned by all who knew her for being impeccably punctual and never straying from her routines; one of which being going to the supermarket every Saturday morning. So far, she had never broken the pattern. Sadly, her husband had died just the year before and now she lived alone, save for her pet cat Grover. Sarah went up to meet her. "Hi Mrs. Fletcher! Do you need help with that?" The old lady lit up at the sight of her neighbour.

"Hello Sarah, dear! Why yes, if you'd be so kind. Have you been out for a run?" She handed one of the bags to Sarah.

"Yes, I have," she replied, following Mrs. Fletcher up the stairs.

"I used to do that myself in my youth, but that was then. I can go out for walks, but my bad knee keeps me from doing much more than that."

When they stopped at Mrs. Fletcher's door, she fished out the key from her purse and turned the lock. Sarah followed her into the kitchen and placed the paper bag on the counter. "Thank you so much, Sarah. Here, let me get you some water. You look positively dehydrated." Mrs. Fletcher fetched a bottle from the refrigerator and gave it to Sarah.

"Thank you." She hadn't realized how much she needed it until the cool and refreshing liquid washed down her throat. Hearing the voice of his mistress, Grover came leaping over the threshold. He was a fluffy, grey cat and perhaps a little too fat, but given how spoiled he was, that was no surprise.

"How is Darren?" Mrs. Fletcher asked as she went to unpack the bags.

"He's, um… He's just fine." Sarah didn't want to lie to the woman, but neither did she want to have a heart to heart with her about relationship problems.

"That's good. And what about you?"

"I'm good. I'm…" Through her peripheral vision, she thought she saw white wings flash by the window. She turned her head to look, but there was nothing there. "I'm…"

"Peachy keen?" Sarah shook her head.

"Sorry, what?" Mrs. Fletcher watched her with a look of concern.

"Are you all right, Sarah? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Like you said, I'm probably just dehydrated."

"Well, then I shan't keep you for long. Perhaps you should go and take a shower? And keep the bottle."

* * *

After having a shower, Sarah came out of the bathroom to find that Darren had left for work. Early. A note was waiting for her in the kitchen.

 _I'm off to work. Will be home late. Lunch is in the fridge._

 _How thoughtful_. She scrunched the paper in her hand and tossed it on the floor. If he wanted to avoid her, fine. It was his loss. She turned on the TV in the living room and fell back down on the couch. She needed to listen to something other than her own thoughts for a spell. Closing her eyes, she took deep breaths and began to relax. It didn't take long. Without knowing, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _She was in a forest, dark and dismal, in the middle of the night. It was cold. Shivering, she put her arms around her for warmth._ _Where was she? The Labyrinth was the first place that came to mind and she was probably right. Where else would she be? The sound of hesitant footsteps reached her ears. Turning around, she saw the silhouette of a small figure in between the trees and bushes. "Come out!" she ordered, no trace of fear in her voice. "Show yourself!" The stranger in the shadows did as told. No longer sheltered by the trees, moonlight shone down on the face of, not a stranger, but an old friend. She breathed out his name._

" _Hoggle."_

 _Tears began to fill her eyes. It had been so long._ Too _long. She ran to him and went down on her knees, embracing him tightly. "Hoggle, I'm so happy to see you!"_

" _I'm happy to see you, too," he said, patting her on the back._ _She pulled away to see him smile, but it was soon replaced with a frown. Something was ailing him. Sarah could tell._

" _Hoggle, what's wrong?" She was concerned for her friend. It looked like he was about to cry any moment now. There had to be something serious going on._

" _Oh, Sarah…" His voice was breaking. "Sarah, we need you. We need your help. You have to come and help!" She placed a comforting hand on his arm._

" _Help you with what?" she asked gently. "Hoggle, what's going on?" He looked down and shook his head at the ground._

" _I… There's no time to tell you. I have to hurry." Sarah was confused._

" _Hurry? Do you have to leave?" She didn't want him to leave. He looked up again, but refused to meet her eyes._

" _Yes. I have to leave whiles I still can. But I had to come here to tell you."_

" _Tell me what?" He searched in his pocket and took out a small, black stone. It gleamed in the moonlight._

" _Here." He grabbed her right hand, placed the stone in her palm and closed her fingers around it, making sure it was safe. "You'll be needing this."_

" _But what is it?" She still wasn't following._

" _It will help you get here – to the Underground. Just hold it in your hand, close your eyes and picture the place you wish to go to. It will take you there." She nodded slowly._

" _Okay… So when should I come?" Hoggle suddenly seemed to remember he was supposed to be leaving and started backing away towards the shadows from whence he came._

" _At sundown. Meet me at the gates to the Goblin City. Please, Sarah, you_ have _to!" She watched him disappear._

" _Of course I'll come. I won't let you down, Hoggle!"_

* * *

She woke with a jolt and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She was back home in the apartment. Although she had never physically left it, her mind had been somewhere else entirely. She thought of Hoggle. How much she had missed him. And Ludo. And Didymus. What could have possibly happened to them? Why did they need her help? One thing was certain: she wouldn't let them down. She trusted that the dream was real. In her hand, she held the proof, her fingers still closed around it. One by one she unfurled them and, in spite of herself, gasped at the sight of it.

The stone.

* * *

 **A/N: Things are really starting to happen now and I promise this is the last dream sequence! Next time Sarah meets her friends (and Jareth), it will be for real. ;) If I get the time, then I may have the next chapter up by the end of the week and I really hope so, because next week I'll be going on a trip with my family, so there will be no time for writing then, I'm afraid.**


	7. The Way Back

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_

 _Fire away, fire away_

 _Ricochet, you take your aim_

 _Fire away, fire away_

 _You shoot me down, but I won't fall_

 _I am titanium_

\- _Titanium_ by David Guetta feat. Sia

* * *

 _At sundown_. Sarah looked out the window. There was still time left, but not enough. She would have to hurry. First of all, she ate the lunch Darren had prepared for her, which, to her great disappointment, turned out to be nothing but leftovers. The potatoes were dry and everything just tasted bland on her tongue. She finished half of it and threw the rest away. Next, she rummaged through her belongings to find a suitable bag and went through what things she would have to bring along. For this, she made a checklist, just to make sure she didn't forget anything. The hard part was deciding what things she would actually be needing, since she had no idea how long she would be away. A day, a week, maybe even longer than that? Taking her chances, she decided to pack for one week. There was only so much her backpack could hold. She packed a few necessities, such as a hairbrush, her toothbrush and toothpaste, underwear and an extra t-shirt. While packing, she thought back on what Hoggle had told her. All she could think of was the look of sheer terror on his face. Whatever it was her friends needed her for, it was obviously something of an urgent and possibly dangerous matter. Otherwise Hoggle wouldn't have been so anxious about it. Although she knew that going back to the Underground was probably suicide – hell, it might even be a _trap_ – she just didn't have the luxury to be suspicious. Her friends needed her. And if it still turned out to be all Jareth's doing, she would deal with him just as she had before. He had no power over her.

It was a well needed reminder.

Realizing she would probably need some kind of sustenance, Sarah took the car to the nearest supermarket. The food had to be sustainable, otherwise it would be a waste. Among other things, she bought a handful of protein bars, a couple of apples and a few bottles of water. As soon as she got home, she filled her backpack with it and threw it over her shoulder just to feel the weight. It was rather heavy. Hopefully, she wouldn't be going hiking.

When it came to her outfit of choice, the most important thing was that she was comfortable and warm. Blue jeans, a white t-shirt with a grey cardigan and jeans jacket on top would have to do. For walking, she chose a pair of black sneakers.

She called in sick, informing that she would probably not make it to work the entire week. Then she left a note for Darren, telling him that she would be going home to her parents for a while until things had calmed down between them. She also specifically told him not to call. And if, by the time she got back, he _had_ made a call to her parents' house, then that was a problem she would have to deal with later. She brought her cell phone with her just in case her dad might call, even though she doubted there would be any reception in the Underground. Her wallet, however, she left at home, hiding it in one of her drawers where she hoped Darren wouldn't look.

* * *

The sun was about to set. Sarah stood by the door, thumbs hooked through the straps of her backpack, ready to leave. She took out the black stone and clutched it tightly. "Time for another adventure, Williams," she said to herself. Following Hoggle's instructions, she closed her eyes and pictured the gates to the Goblin City. It didn't take long for her to see them. Even after thirteen years, she still remembered. Keeping her eyes shut, she whispered the name of her destination, just in case picturing it wouldn't be enough. "The gates to the Goblin City. The gates to the Goblin City."

A different kind of air suddenly filled her lungs. She took a deep breath through her nose and inhaled all the familiar scents. There was one in particular that she picked up which was stronger than the rest, but it did not come from the Bog or even the junkyard that lay nearby. It couldn't, for this did not smell bad at all. Smiling, Sarah finally let her eyes flutter open. Just as she had hoped, the big friendly creature was right there in front of her. Surely this had to be another dream? Ludo beamed at the sight of her and reached out with a large, furry hand.

"Sarah?"

Tears started to fill her eyes. Nothing could ever have prepared her for this. Seeing his face and hearing his voice again made her realize just how much she'd actually missed the big lug. She placed her empty hand in his giant one. "Yes Ludo, it's me!" He remained as solid as a rock when she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his red fur. Ludo hugged her back.

"Sarah back! Ludo miss Sarah." He sounded happier than ever.

"I missed you, too," she said, her voice thick.

"My lady?" Pulling back from Ludo's embrace, Sarah looked down at the small knight standing at her feet. He hadn't changed one bit – unlike her. It seemed as if he couldn't quite believe his one good eye. "My lady, is it really thee?"

"Yes, Didymus." She went down on her knees to let him look into her face more properly. "Do you recognize me now?" After a moment, Didymus nodded slowly.

"Yes, I believe so. My, how you've grown! Never has my eye beheld a fairer maiden!" Sarah shook her head at him. He remained as eloquent as ever.

"You'll have to stop that, or you'll make me blush. Now come here." She made sure to be gentle when she hugged him, afraid she might crush his slender frame.

Then there was only one left. He was right there by her side. "Hello, Hoggle."

"Sarah." He was happy to prolong the brief hug they had shared in her dream. "You really came back." Had he doubted she would?

"Of course I came. You're my friends."

"Then why didst thou stop calling?" Didymus approached carefully. The three of them watched her expectantly, waiting for an answer. For years, they had wondered why they never heard from her anymore. And they deserved to know. If they wouldn't forgive her, Sarah was all right with that, but she still owed them an apology. She pushed herself back up from the ground and, with a sigh, said, "I grew up." It was the sad truth.

"I'm sorry I stopped calling, but… as I got older, everything from my childhood sort of… slipped away. I met new friends, I went to college and then I got a job and…" She stopped herself, hesitating, "…a boyfriend. I know it's an awful excuse and I really wish I had the time, but things aren't as easy as they once were." She paused. "Can you still forgive me?" The guilt in the pit of her stomach made her feel small and the silence made it even worse. Then, Hoggle grabbed her by the hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Of course we forgive you." It felt like a heavy weight lifted off her chest.

"Sarah forgiven," Ludo chimed in and Sir Didymus wasn't far behind.

"We forgive you, Sarah."

"I'm glad to hear." She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to compose herself, remembering there was a reason as to why she had come in the first place. "Now, what is it that you need my help for? It must be quite urgent, the way _you_ were acting." She turned to Hoggle, who let go of her hand and took a couple steps back. Suddenly, he regained the same troubled expression he had worn in her dream.

"Yes… About that…" Once again, he refused to look her in the eye. As a matter of fact, they _all_ did.

"What?" she asked. "What's going on?" Didymus was the only one who dared to speak up, albeit with an unnaturally small voice for his standards.

"I think, my lady, it is _we_ who should ask for _thy_ forgiveness." He even took off his hat, as if showing remorse. This was all confusing her.

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong. Have you?" The previously gleeful atmosphere had now been replaced by something else entirely and Sarah felt that it was partly due to the presence of another soul. The first clue she got was the sudden expression of fear on her friends' faces. The second was his voice.

"Oh no, they have done nothing wrong. Everything has gone according to plan."

Slowly, she turned on the spot and looked up. A feeling of déjà vu washed over her as once again she found herself face to face with the Goblin King. He looked exactly the way he had the first time she had seen him. Even his pose was the same; hands on hips and a smug smile that she was very tempted to wipe off his face.

So it was nothing but a trap after all. Just another one of his schemes. Sarah could take that. What she _couldn't_ take was that her friends had been used as pawns in his game. She stared at him, unblinking. "So this is what you were waiting for? To bring me back."

"You don't seem very surprised," he remarked, almost sounding disappointed. It pleased her.

"You stopped surprising me a long time ago." His eyes narrowed, darkening. It reminded her of their final confrontation all those years ago. He was dangerous. But also vulnerable. Three long determined steps and he was standing inches away from her. Time stopped. The small gap that was left between them became a magnetic field. They were two different poles, close enough to be drawn to each other, but not enough to actually close the gap. He looked straight into her eyes and, donning a devilish smirk, said, "Oh, you will find I'm _full_ of surprises." When he walked past, deliberately brushing his shoulder against hers, the magnetic pull vanished and time moved on.

Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus remained silent, still refusing to meet her gaze. Sarah could tell they were sorry, but she didn't want them to feel bad. This was not their fault. They were not to blame. _He_ was. She turned back to Jareth. "I can't believe you used my friends to get me here."

"I admit I used them. But only because I knew there was no other way to get through to you." She was about to interrupt, but Jareth was quick to move on with his speech. "I warned you I could be cruel, but you have my word when I say that I never threatened them, if that is what you think." Actually, that's _exactly_ what she had thought. Yet now, there was something making her doubt it all of a sudden. "Admittedly, that _was_ my initial plan, but then I realized I wouldn't have to. All I had to do was tell them there was a way for them to see you again." He spared the trio of which he spoke a brief glance. "At first they were sceptical, but soon enough they came around. They missed you too much."

Sarah looked to her friends and saw sadness and regret. He wasn't lying. All they wanted was to see her again and Jareth was the only one who could grant their wish. For that, she could not blame them. "We're so sorry, Sarah," Hoggle said. "We were selfish."

"No, don't say that!" To call them selfish was a bit harsh. Their intentions were pure, but now they worried for her safety. "Nothing you did was selfish. I forgive you. Don't worry about me." She shot Jareth a look. "I can handle him."

"Are you sure about that?" he questioned.

"You have no power over me, remember?" If he wanted to make her doubt herself, he would have to try much harder than that. Besides, _she_ had the upper hand. The stone was still safe in her grasp. As if reading her mind, his gaze dropped to her hand.

"You're right, Sarah. So why don't you use that stone and wish yourself back home?" He gave a nod to her fist. Before saying anything she might regret, she opened her hand and looked down at her palm. The stone was no longer in her possession. Nor was the confidence she had hoped never would abandon her.

"Where is it?" she demanded, although the answer was pretty obvious. He raised his right hand where he held the stone in between gloved fingers.

"It's right here."

Hoggle, despite being much shorter, went up to face Jareth. He had had enough and though he was still afraid of his king, his love for Sarah was much stronger than his fear. "Give that back to her!" Jareth merely rolled his eyes.

"You're forgetting that it was never hers to keep. I only let her borrow it." He kicked the dwarf aside, like he had down in the tunnel.

"Hoggle!" Sarah was right there to help him back to his feet and she stood herself in between her friends and their mutual enemy. "Don't ever do that again," she warned. "Don't you dare."

"I won't," Jareth said, taking a step back to show that he meant no harm.

" _Promise_ ," she said through gritted teeth. " _Promise_ me you won't hurt them."

"You have my word," he reassured. Hoggle stepped forward again.

"And _you_ have to promise you won't hurt _her_."

"You must swear it!" Didymus concurred and pointed his staff at Jareth. An action which _should_ have earned him a one way trip to the Bog. However, it was common knowledge that the stench did not affect the feisty little knight. That was why Jareth had picked him to guard the bridge in the swamp in the first place.

"Why does everyone assume that I'm out for blood?"

"Well, aren't you?" Hoggle queried. "Sarah solved the Labyrinth. She defeated you and now you want revenge. Isn't that what it's all about?"

He couldn't be more wrong.

Jareth gazed into Sarah's eyes and she let him. She had a feeling that this wasn't about revenge at all. This was about something far greater. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, yet perfectly clear. "I could never hurt you, Sarah." They might as well have been the only two standing there outside the gates. This was about _them_ and no one else.

"Then why did you bring me here?" He seemed to be contemplating.

"I promise I shall answer your questions if you follow me to the castle." She wanted to say no, but what choice did she have? There was really nowhere else to go. She sighed.

"Fine. But they're coming, too," she added, looking back to her friends. She may have been powerless, but that didn't stop her from making demands. He gave in with a curt nod.

"Very well. Follow me."

* * *

 **A/N: And we're finally back in the Underground! I hope you guys are as excited about that as I am. From now on, we will also get to see more things from Jareth's point of view. It's been a long time coming. I simply adore writing him! Expect an update next week. ;)**


	8. The King's Offer

_I bet you laugh out loud at me_

 _A chance to strike me down_

 _Give me peace of mind at last_

 _Show me all you are_

 _Open up your heart to me_

 _I would be your slave_

\- _I Would Be Your Slave_ by David Bowie

* * *

Walking through Goblin City, Sarah discovered that next to nothing had changed since her last visit. The only difference she could find was that the small town seemed to have been restored to its former glory after the damage of the battle. There was no sign of any rocks having rolled through the narrow streets. When she turned to face forward again, Jareth was already several steps ahead, reminding her there was no time to dawdle. She picked up her pace, but made sure the others were able to follow as well.

At long last, they reached the castle and the doors swung open, parting like the red sea before their king. He strode up the stairs, his long black cape dragging on the steps behind him. "All right," Sarah said as she and her companions walked up to the entrance. "We're here now, so answer my question."

"I promised you that I would," Jareth assured. "But I will do so _privately_." She opened her mouth to protest, but was cut short by Hoggle, who grabbed her by the hand. She looked down into his face.

"Sarah, you should do what he says." Jareth arched an elegant brow in surprise.

"That has to be the most sensible thing I've ever heard you say." Hoggle ignored the snide remark, keeping his eyes on Sarah.

" _Please_ ," he insisted. "Do it. We'll be right here. And… should you need us…"

Then she knew exactly what she would do.

"I'll call."

Jareth cleared his throat, letting Sarah know it was time to part with her friends. "This way," he said and started walking down the long hallway before them. She bit her lower lip. This was it. The answers she sought lay ahead. All she had to do was go there. The question was: did she really _want_ to? She closed her eyes and shook off all her fears. She _had_ to know. And he wanted her to. That was what scared her the most. But though she faltered, she _did_ believe that he would not hurt her. They would just talk. Glancing back at her friends one last time, she took a deep breath and moved forward.

He was waiting for her a little ways down the hall, holding a door open. No words needed to be spoken and no looks needed to be exchanged for Sarah to know that he wanted her to go in first. Arguing was pointless, so she grudgingly stepped over the threshold and entered… a library? It had to be. Although it wasn't very big, the ceiling was high and the walls were lined shelf after shelf with books. A crimson rug covered the middle of the floor where four high back chairs stood in a circle, facing inwards toward a round table. Directly to the left was a fireplace that brought light and warmth to the room. Jareth followed her inside and closed the door behind him. Casually, he removed his cape and draped it over the back of a chair. With a wary eye, she watched his every move, as though he were a snake that could pounce at you in the blink of an eye. But she wouldn't have had to. _This_ snake was, at least at the moment, completely harmless. All he did was motion for her to have a seat.

It wasn't until she had removed her backpack and sat down in one of the chairs that Jareth did the same, taking the seat across from her. He interlaced his fingers. "Now then, let me tell you why you're here."

"You better have a good reason." He smirked.

"Yes, well, that all comes down to perspective, now doesn't it?" Sarah rolled her eyes. He was testing her patience.

"Just get to the point. Why am I here?" He dropped the smirk and simply stared into her cruel, beautiful eyes. It was tearing him apart, but he needed it. He _craved_ it. In her presence, he felt things like he never had before and now that she was finally back, those feelings were reawakened. And he needed her to know just what they meant.

"Because my life hasn't been the same ever since you left." _There's been a hole in my heart._ "I've tried so hard to forget about you." _Even though I knew it was impossible._ "You've changed my world, Sarah." _You've turned it upside down._

The air felt so thick. Where did the oxygen go? He breathed in what little there was left of it. This was his last chance to get the words out. He could no longer keep them from her.

"And I can't live in it if you're not there with me."

 _But what no one knew…_

Sarah froze. It couldn't be. It was just a silly story. Nothing more. "You mean to tell me," she began slowly, "that I'm here because… because…" The words wouldn't leave her tongue. The whole idea was just absurd.

"Because I fell in love with you." His voice was so soft. Barely even there.

Abruptly, Sarah rose to her feet, as did Jareth. He was dead certain she was going to bolt, but no. She was standing stock still. Paralyzed. As if she had no idea what to do. "This is not happening," she said, more to herself than anyone else. "This _cannot_ be real. It's… It's _insane!_ " He flinched slightly at her raised voice. This was not the reaction he had hoped to receive from her. Perhaps it had been foolish of him to think it could have played out any differently?

"It might be," he admitted after a moment. "But it is the truth." He took one small step forward. There was still time to make things right, but there was also a chance they might get worse if he didn't tread carefully. "Sarah, do you remember the offer I made you?"

Of course she did.

She made no verbal answer. Instead, it was her eyes that spoke. They gleamed like the crystal he had shown her, inside which all of her dreams were safely kept. For just one fleeting moment, he thought he saw those dreams in her eyes. Somewhere deep inside her, there was a little girl who called out, who longed to see them just one more time. And he wanted nothing more than to show her. "That offer still stands," he said. Still, she made no sound. Did he really have to spell it out for her?

"I want you to be my queen, Sarah."

In the blink of an eye, the dreams faded and the little girl went back into hiding. Sarah would have asked him to repeat that, but she knew she had heard right, even if it was utterly preposterous. "Your queen? I'm sorry, but that's an offer I will have to refuse." It was laughable, really. Not to mention that she recalled him having a pretty skewed vision of what it meant to be in a relationship. "I have no interest in having a slave, even less _be_ one. And you asked me to fear you. That's not what love is."

"Then what is love?" he questioned. "A life where two people rarely meet and when they do, all they do is argue?" She could practically feel her own pupils dilate as the final puzzle pieces fell into place.

"You _wanted_ me and Darren to fight, didn't you?" He neither confirmed, nor denied it.

Sarah couldn't stop herself. The next thing she knew, her hand stung and she realized, looking at the red mark on Jareth's left cheek, that she had slapped him. " _You selfish bastard!_ " She spat the words out. He didn't make a face. Showed no sign of hurting.

"I probably deserved that." Sarah laughed.

" _That's_ an understatement. What did you expect? That I would run into your arms and give myself up to you?" She didn't care that her tone was mocking. After everything he'd put her through, it only seemed right to give him some of his own medicine. And she wasn't finished yet. "You did everything for me, huh? Bullshit!It was all for _you!_ "

Tears of rage and hurt rolled down her face and all Jareth wanted was to dry them away. He said that he could never hurt her, but seeing her like this, he realized that's exactly what he'd done. He wanted to say something, but Sarah beat him to it. "Darren and I were perfectly fine before you decided to come back and haunt me. Do you have _any_ idea what I've been feeling like this past week? If you really care about me as much as you claim, then why did you put me through all that crap?!" Her following words, carried by a broken voice, dug into his heart like a knife. " _Why can't you just leave me alone?_ "

It was quiet. Neither of them knew for how long. It could have been a lifetime. Jareth was the one to break the silence. "Oh, how I envy you. You make it sound so easy to say. You fail to realize just how lucky you are. You know _nothing_ of loneliness." If anything, those words were the ones that hurt her the most. Inside her, a little girl was crying out for help. There was no one there to hold her. No one who understood her. _All_ she knew was loneliness.

Sarah ignored the cries and swallowed the growing lump in her throat. She would _not_ be weak. "Do you want me to feel sorry for you? Is _that_ what you want? Do you think it will make me change my mind? Well guess what, it _won't_." She straightened herself up and wiped the tears from her face. "I want to go home and I want to go home _right now!_ I don't want to stay here a _minute_ longer! I _never_ wanted to come back here. In fact, I wish I'd never come _at all!_ " Once she started, it was hard to stop and she had probably said too much. Jareth's gaze drifted over her shoulder, to where the door was.

"Sarah…"

"What?" With a nod of his head, he indicated for her to look back. She did not like the look on his face. It gave her a bad feeling. Tentatively, Sarah turned to look behind her.

 _Oh no._

The door had opened. On the other side of the threshold, Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus had gathered and judging by their looks of disappointment, they had heard everything. She locked eyes with Hoggle and managed to catch a glimpse of the hurt in his eyes just before he put on his mask of indifference. Without a word, he turned on his heel and left. Ludo and Didymus seemed to hesitate, but soon followed Hoggle's example. "Wait!" Sarah called, but they didn't come back. _What have I done?_ She felt a hand on her back, gently nudging her forward.

"Go."

She caught up with them just outside the castle. "Guys, wait!" They stopped when she came to block their path. "Can we talk about this?"

 _There's nothing to talk about._

They didn't say it, but they might as well have and, quite frankly, she would have preferred it to the silence. "Look, I'm sorry. What I said had nothing to do with you." Hoggle begged to differ.

"You said that you wished you'd never come here at all. That means you wish you'd never met any of us." He was right and there was no point in denying it.

"I know. I admit that things would have been easier that way. But I don't regret knowing _any_ of you. You're my friends."

"But you're not staying."

It wasn't a question.

It was an assumption.

An assumption that broke her heart.

Sarah pursed her lips as she thought it over. What could it hurt if she stayed for a couple of days? After all, that's what she had intended – what she had _presumed_ – to do. If only to make her friends happy. She cracked a smile. "I guess I could stay for a few days." It was a relief when their sombre faces finally washed away.

"Milady, it brings me great joy to hear thee say that," Didymus confessed. Ludo concurred, albeit in a bit more laconic way.

"Ludo happy." Hoggle had yet to voice his thoughts on the matter. Ludo nudged his shoulder, insisting he say something.

"And Hoggle is happy, too," he finally conceded. Sarah beamed at them.

"And so is Sarah." Her smile faltered as she thought back on what had just happened. "I thought I said I would call if I needed you." She wasn't scolding them. Just curious to know why they had followed her and Jareth to the library.

"We heard you shouting and we grew worried about you," Hoggle explained. "We thought Jareth had gone back on his word and hurt you." She would always cherish their loyalty. Finding true friends like them wasn't always easy.

"Not at all," she shook her head. _At least not physically._ "Actually," she chuckled lightly, "I think it was the other way around." She could still feel the sting in her hand where it had made contact with Jareth's cheek. "Did you know he proposed to me?" she said, keeping up the humour. Well, come to think of it, he hadn't exactly asked "will you marry me?" but that was undoubtedly his intention.

At first, they were silent, exchanging puzzled glances. Then Hoggle broke out in howling laughter, bending over and clutching his stomach.

"He _proposed?_ To _you?_ " It was the funniest thing he had heard in a long time and now his stomach and cheeks hurt from all the laughing. Ludo laughed a little as well, although not as hysterically as his friend. Sarah figured he was more likely laughing at Hoggle than at what she'd just revealed. Didymus was also highly amused, but deemed it below his dignity to erupt into a fit of giggles.

"And here we thought he wanted to exact his revenge, when, in fact, all he wanted was to confess his love for thee." _Confess his love._ When it came from Didymus, it suddenly didn't sound quite so ridiculous anymore. By now, Hoggle had calmed down a little, but was still chortling in between his words.

"Ha! Imagine you as his queen!" Sarah gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"Yeah. Imagine that…" She sighed. "Well, I suppose I should tell him I'll be sticking around for a while."

He was still in the library, staring into the fireplace. He looked weary. Sarah cleared her throat to announce her return and he looked up. "Um… I just wanted to let you know that I'm staying. Only for a couple of days," she added quickly, not wanting to get his hopes up. This seemed to pique his interest.

"What changed your mind?"

"I'm not doing it for you, if that's what you think." The small glimmer of hope in his eyes suddenly died and she wished she'd used a different tone. She hadn't meant for it to come out so harsh. "I'm doing it for my friends," she finished, softer this time. He forced a small smile.

"I understand." Then his demeanour changed and gone was the downhearted Goblin King. In his place, the proud and self-assured Goblin King re-emerged and it was as if nothing had ever changed. If he was still hurt, he wore it exceptionally well. His eyes gleamed again and that satisfied smirk, no matter how much she denied it, really brought out his handsome features. It wasn't fair.

"Well then," he cocked his head to the left, "where have you planned to stay?" _Right._ She hadn't thought about that. But _he_ obviously had. She just wanted to know if there were any other options.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Is there a bed and breakfast in town, by any chance?" Still smiling, he shook his head. Her face fell. "No. Of course there isn't," she muttered.

"If you're looking for a comfortable abode, this is the best I can offer you," he said, spreading his arms wide. Was there really no other option? Then again, this _was_ a rare opportunity. He was offering her to stay in a _castle_ , for crying out loud! She'd be crazy if she declined.

"What do you say?" he asked and that's when she made her mind up.

"I accept your offer."

"A wise decision."

"For your sake, I hope so." He chuckled.

"You should be more careful who you threaten, Precious." He passed her on the way to the door. "Come. Let me show you around."

"I told my friends I'd be right back out." She saw him tense.

"They forgave you?"

"Yes. Does that disappoint you?" He made no answer, but simply moved aside, leaving the way open.

"Go, then. I will wait for you in the throne room. You know where that is, don't you?"

"I'm pretty sure I remember." She eyed him suspiciously. He was letting her go just like that? Jareth picked up on her train of thought.

"I thought I stopped surprising you a long time ago."

"I guess I was wrong."

* * *

 **A/N: You guys, I am so tired right now, I can't tell if this is good enough, but I guess it will have to do. XD I think I said I was going to update last week, but I have a summer job which is taking up a lot of time and energy, so I'm sorry about that. I hope you like this chapter, though. :) And if you haven't listened to Bowie's "I would be your slave" yet, you really should, because it fits Labyrinth quite well. I can't help but think that's where he got some of his inspiration from. Who knows? ;)**


	9. The King's Request

_How do I live?_

 _How do I breathe?_

 _When you're not here_

 _I'm suffocating_

 _I want to feel love_

 _Run through my blood_

 _Tell me is this where I give it all up?_

 _For you, I have to risk it all_

 _'Cause the writing's on the wall_

 _\- Writing's On The Wall_ by Sam Smith

* * *

The last light of the day was dying and the stars came out to scatter across the blue night sky. Somehow, they were more beautiful and shone brighter than the ones back home. The constellations were different in the Underground and Sarah's friends were more than happy to explain how they had come to be. The rest of the evening was spent reminiscing about their adventure and talking about the years that had passed. Sarah was more interested in hearing what her friends had been up to than talking about her own life and vice versa. They seemed happy to know she had found someone to love and hoped they would have a bright future together. Furthermore, they wanted to know how Toby was. None of them had ever met him, but they spoke of him as if they had known him his entire life. If only that were the case. Sarah did not doubt her brother would have loved them. After some time, it got too cold to stay out and it was time to say goodnight, but they agreed to meet again in the morning. Sarah couldn't wait.

There were no goblins in the throne room. They had long since gone to bed. He was the only one there; in the dark and the quiet. The moon was the only source of light. Its white beams lit up one side of his face, casting the other half in shadow where he sat on his throne. The armour and the cape was gone. All there was left was the black leather of his trousers and the flowing silk of his shirt. The pendant around his long neck rested safely on his chest. He was fingering the chain, lost in thought. But despite his mind being elsewhere, he still heard her soft footsteps as she made her way towards the throne. She stopped in front of the circular pit in the middle of the floor.

"Have you been waiting here all along?" It was a somewhat timid approach, as if she were afraid he'd be mad at her for taking so long. He gave a nod to the side.

"You could say that."

"Sorry if I kept you waiting. There was so much to talk about." It was beyond him how, for years, she'd never bothered to call her friends and just before, she had been so eager to get home, yet now, she was practically unwilling to part with them.

"That happens when you don't stay in touch." He could try to make her feel bad all he wanted. It wasn't going to work.

"Are you going to give me a place to sleep or what?" She was tired and the backpack was weighing her down. Gracefully, he sprang to his feet, almost like a cat, and walked along the edge of the pit until he reached her on the other side. There, he stopped and bowed his head.

"All you need is ask."

She had expected him to take her to a guest room. Instead, she got her own private quarters, complete with a bedroom, lounge area and bathroom. At a loss for words, the only thing she could do was look around and let herself be amazed by the grandeur of it all. He bid her goodnight and then she was all alone in the large space of her temporary abode. It was much too big for just one person. It felt so empty. She wondered if _his_ quarters were this big. Probably _bigger_. He was the king, after all.

A four-poster queen size bed was waiting for her to come and lie down. Sarah removed her backpack and stepped out of her shoes, not bothering to untie the laces. Her jacket, cardigan, jeans and socks were left in a heap on the floor. The rest of her clothes, she kept on. The sheets were made of dark purple silk; nothing like the simple cotton she was used to. It felt like such an unnecessary luxury. As a young girl, she had dreamt of being treated like a princess and living a glamorous life as an actress. Just like her mom. Things had changed since then, to say the least.

Before closing her eyes, Sarah took out her cell phone. As she had expected, there was no service, but maybe – _just_ _maybe_ – there was a chance a text message might pop up? She checked her inbox. Nothing new. No missed calls, either. Was she supposed to feel relieved or disappointed? If Darren was leaving her alone – like she'd asked – did that mean he cared or not? At that thought, she put her phone away and laid her head down on the pillow. She was overthinking again. And now was not the time to think. It was time to sleep.

* * *

When morning came, Sarah had all but forgotten where she was and nearly started panicking when she realized she wasn't lying in her own bed. But soon enough, everything came back to her. She was in the Underground, in the Goblin King's castle. Outside, the sun was shining, which had to mean that it was morning. Maybe even noon? For how long had she been sleeping? One after the other, the questions popped into her head. Luckily, it wouldn't be hard to find the answers. Reaching down, she picked her phone up off the floor and checked the time. 9:59 AM. Still no calls or messages. Just as the last minute of the hour passed and the device in her hand told her it was now ten o'clock, there was a knock at her door. She untangled herself from the silk sheets and hurried to get her pants back on. _What does he want now?_ she thought to herself. Who else could it be, if not him? She was about to find out.

Upon opening the door, the only thing she found herself looking at was a teacart. And it was _moving_. As not to get run over, Sarah immediately stepped aside to let it through. As the cart rolled by, she noticed it was being pushed by a goblin, who was too short to see where he was going. In fact, he just _kept_ going and showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. "I think you can stop now," Sarah said, but it was too late. The goblin walked straight into the wall on the other end of the room. A jug of what looked like orange juice spilled over when the trolley crashed and the goblin fell over. Other than that, there seemed to be no harm done. Sarah rushed to his side and helped him back to his feet. "Are you okay?" The goblin looked up at her as if he'd just found a treasure trove.

"Oh! There you are! King send lady breakfast!" he announced jovially, gesturing to the teacart upon which there were two silver cloches. She was tempted to say that she hadn't ordered any room service, but contented herself with merely raising a brow.

"Did he, now?" Considering what had happened _last_ time she'd consumed food sent by him, she had all reason to be suspicious. The goblin remained oblivious.

"I has to go now," he said and bowed before taking his leave. "Enjoy breakfast, lady!"

Putting all her suspicions aside, Sarah brought the teacart to the lounge area and had her breakfast there. A wide range of edibles hid underneath the cloches and she tried a little bit of everything. She had two slices of freshly baked bread which smelled heavenly and, due to it still being warm, the butter melted on top of it. Just the way she liked it. In addition to bread, there was also ham and cheese, boiled eggs as well as a variety of fruits, such as red grapes and even sliced pineapple. And nothing tasted strange.

* * *

Unlike last night, the throne room was now filled with goblins. Everywhere you looked, you could see them scurrying about, laughing and simply having the time of their lives. Goblins were easily entertained. As soon as Sarah walked into the room, however, their laughter ceased and the sound of merriment was replaced by a cold, deathlike silence. They looked to their king, in his seat of power. His strange eyes were locked on the beautiful lady standing amongst them. The goblins never spoke of it, but to them, it was a mystery how their king had not yet taken a queen. For as long as they could remember, he had ruled the kingdom all on his own. They may not have known much about marriage and everything it entails, but just like any creature in the Underground, they knew what to expect. Kings married queens, then they had a baby or two and the burden of the throne was passed on to them. Usually, this happened shortly after a new king had been crowned. This was, strangely enough, _not_ the case with _their_ ruler. But they all understood, for goblins were not _that_ stupid, that the king was, in this very moment, looking at the one woman he wanted to be his – as well as _their_ – queen.

Why were they all staring at her like that? Couldn't they just go back to minding their own business? "So…" she began, looking at Jareth. "Is it all right if I go and meet my friends?" Why was she even asking for permission? Neither of them knew, to be quite frank. But since she was asking…

"Actually… I was hoping I might have a word with you again." _Again?_

"Oh." She'd rather not, but then again, maybe it was better to just get it over with? "I suppose my friends can wait."

Claiming it was beautiful weather for a morning stroll, he brought her out to the gardens, which she had no idea even existed. It was surprisingly beautiful there and everything was in bloom, even though it was in the middle of October. He explained to her that the seasons weren't quite the same as above. Summer lasted longer in the Underground, but autumn would soon be on its way. This did not amaze her as much as the fact that he could talk to her as though yesterday's events had never happened. Nevertheless, there was something in his expression that told her he wasn't over it. Being rejected, not just once, but _twice_ , must have really hurt his pride.

They sat down on a bench in front of a small pond. Sarah made sure there was a good amount of space between them. Then he began to talk. "Sarah, do you believe in happy endings?" It seemed like an odd thing to ask. Where was he going with this?

"Why do you ask?"

"Just answer the question." He said it kindly, more like a request than a command. She raised her shoulders in a shrug.

"I don't know. Don't you think that's a bit… childish? It's something you read about in fairy tales."

"I know. I used to love hearing you read them." Her brows furrowed.

"Used to?"

"You stopped."

"Yes." What did he expect? She had no time for childish fantasies anymore. Those days were over and there was no way to turn back the clock. _Well,_ _perhaps_ he _can._ Not that she would _want_ to reorder time, anyway. She was happy with where she was in life, so why change that?

Jareth looked across the pond where a red rose bush had been planted. The flowers were in full bloom. Once, they had been nothing but tiny buds. Much like Sarah. A lot could happen in the course of thirteen years. Looking at her now, she was just like those roses; beautiful as ever. Yet somehow, she was withering away. Someone had pulled up her roots, separating her from the earth on which she fed her passionate soul. It was only a matter of time before she would lose her petals and the girl she had once been would be lost forever.

"What happened to the girl I knew? The girl who would come to the park and live out her fantasies, who dreamed of a life out of the ordinary." The girl he _knew?_ He could barely have known her. Sarah kept her eyes on anything but him. She could feel the way he was looking at her and she didn't like it.

"She grew up."

"So she did." He paused, then added, "I just don't know whether I like it or not."

"Sorry to disappoint." Jareth sighed. He wasn't going to get anywhere like this. It was best to just spell it out already.

"Look," he said, "the reason I'm asking is because I had hoped you might help me with something." Heaving a sigh of her own, she finally turned to face him.

"And what's that?" Damn her and her cruel eyes. They made his faith waver, but he couldn't let it get to him. Bracing himself, he drew a breath.

"There is an old legend… about a king who sought for a way to become mortal. He searched far and wide, but eventually, he found the one thing that could help him. According to the legend, he lost his immortality by drinking the waters of a magic fountain." He didn't have to say anything more.

"And you mean to say that you want to do the same?"

"Yes. I'm hoping that it will be my happy ending. If I can't have you as my queen, then I will have to find my happiness elsewhere. Hopefully in your world. So… will you help me?" She appreciated the fact that he wasn't still trying to win her over, but ask for her _help?_ That was stretching it too far.

"Why on earth should I help _you?_ Give me _one_ good reason." He figured she would say that, although maybe not as _aggressively_ as she did. Did he really deserve this cold treatment from her? He thought that she would be passed it by now. Apparently not.

One good reason.

He could only think of one.

"I'll tell you what… If you help me with this, then I…" Was there really no other reason? He closed his eyes for a moment. His mind was blank. This was his only option. "Then I will never approach you again. I'll leave you alone." There. He'd said it. Sarah wasn't sure if she'd heard right, though. She gave him a dubious look.

"You would really do that?"

Would he?

He had to be careful with what he said next. After all, he always kept his word. There would be no going back. At worst, he would have to give her up forever. But there could really only be one answer. It was all or nothing.

"If it's the only way I can convince you to come with me… then yes."

* * *

 **A/N: Things are really starting to happen now. Next, our favorite Goblin King and heroine will embark on their quest for silver linings! It's been a little over a week since my last update if I'm not wrong? Perhaps I even promised there would be an update last week? I honestly can't remember. XD If I did, then I apologize. I was working last week as well, but guess what? Not anymore! My summer job is finally over and I can dedicate more time to writing! :D At least for these next two/three weeks to come. Then it's back to school. I will try to update more often until then, though. At least once a week. Hope everyone is doing good! I'll see you next time ;)**


	10. A New Adventure Begins

_Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say_

 _Sometimes I wanna slap you in your whole face_

\- _True Love_ by P!nk

* * *

"You have _got_ to be joking."

Sarah _wished_ she were joking, but unfortunately, she would be letting Hoggle down. "Look," she said, "I don't like this anymore than you do. The only reason I agreed to come with him was because he promised he would leave me alone if I did." Hoggle pursed his lips, bushy eyebrows knitted in a frown. "Hoggle, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be just fine." His frown began to dissolve, if only a little.

"I certainly hope you will be. The Underground can be a dangerous place and knowing that Jareth will be the only one around to protect you is what worries me the most." Her lips curved into a wry smile.

"I'm not about to be some damsel in distress that needs protection." And there was no way in hell she would be giving him a _reason_ to protect her. "But I understand what you mean. He's not the easiest person around to trust." Hoggle huffed.

"Darn right, he ain't."

"When are you leaving?" Didymus queried.

"Jareth wants to leave right away. The sooner, the better, he says. So I came to say goodbye. For now, that is."

"But when will you be back?" Hoggle demanded to know.

"I'm not sure. Maybe in six, seven days?" Jareth said they might make it to their destination in three days. Right now, he was packing everything they would be needing for the journey. He had asked her if she wanted him to pack her things along with the rest, but she had said no. She'd rather keep her belongings in the backpack, where she knew she had them. Hoggle resumed his grumbling, very much dissatisfied with this turn of events.

"Seven days. Unbelievable." His, as well as the others' disappointment, was understandable. They had all planned on spending the next couple of days with their long-lost friend and instead, she was ditching them to go on some quest with her _enemy_. Speak of the devil…

"Are you ready?" Suddenly, he was just there. They never saw or heard him coming. Sarah recognized the brown leather jacket he wore. In this light, it almost looked purple. Grey breeches and black riding boots covered his legs.

"Almost." She turned back to her friends, giving each of them a goodbye hug.

"Goodbye Sarah." She received an encouraging smile from Ludo. This wasn't farewell. She would return.

"Until we meet again, fair maiden." Didymus took off his hat and bowed. With his guard down, Sarah seized the opportunity to kiss his cheek. She had never seen him blush before.

"Don't you even _think_ about kissing _me_ again," Hoggle warned her as she went in for a hug. "We all know how _that_ ended." Nevertheless, he held onto her for just a moment longer than the rest. There was one more thing he needed to tell her. The words came out in a silent whisper. "Be careful."

They went separate ways and now it was only her and Jareth. He took her to the other side of the castle where two horses were waiting for them. One velvet black and one shimmering white; already equipped from head to hoof. Apart from saddles and bridles, said equipment also included saddle bags, no doubt containing everything Jareth had packed. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait… Are we riding there?" Jareth cracked a smile and forced himself not to laugh.

"You didn't think we'd be travelling by foot, did you?"

"How was I supposed to know you had horses?" He admitted that she was right, but he didn't tell her that. To him, it was as obvious as the sun rising.

"What kind of a king would I be if I didn't?" She wanted to come up with a clever retort, but nothing came to mind. "Sarah, I'd like you to meet Desdemona," he gestured to the white horse, "and Calypso," then the black one. "They're sisters."

"Really?" Given how dissimilar they were, Sarah never would have guessed. Carefully, she approached Calypso and reached up to pat her mule. It was soft like velvet.

"Have you ever ridden a horse before?" She raised her shoulders in a shrug, like it didn't matter that much.

"Only a couple of times. I know the basic stuff."

"I suppose it will have to do." The way he said it suggested it _did_ matter that much. "Let's be off, then." In one swift motion, he was up on Desdemona's back, waiting for Sarah to mount her own horse. He was watching her like a hawk as she put one hand on either end of the saddle and brought her left foot to the stirrup, but she couldn't get it in. It was too high up and only slipped away from her. She lost her balance and brought her foot back onto the ground with a groan. She didn't have to look to know Jareth was smirking.

"Are you doing all right, Precious?" God, how she hated when he called her that. Persistent as ever, Sarah tried again, still without any luck.

"She's quite tall," she said with a strained voice. And it was the truth. Calypso was a very tall horse. Even taller than her sister, in fact, which made Sarah believe Jareth had done this on purpose.

"Or perhaps _you're_ too short?" Her foot came down with an audible thud. She glowered at him.

"Are you calling me _short?_ " she asked, daring him to repeat that. Okay, so perhaps she wasn't as tall as many other women, but in _her_ opinion, five feet and six inches was _not_ short and he didn't really have the right to mention it. "Listen mister, if you want to bully me about my size, I'm not going to back down without a fight. Compared to most of the men _I've_ met in my life, you don't really pose that much of a threat. _And_ you're clearly trying to compensate by wearing heels." She gave a not so subtle nod to his boots. Jareth dropped the smirk.

"You know I could send you to the Bog for showing such insolence." And to think she actually had the audacity to look him in the face and sneer.

"But you won't. Now help me get up in the saddle. Do you have a stool or anything I could use?" Jareth hopped back to the ground.

"No. But I _will_ help you." He came to stand by her side and, without asking for permission, he placed his right hand on the small of her back; the only spot her backpack wasn't covering. Just as long as that hand didn't go any _lower_ … She felt the heat of it through the fabric of her clothes. When he spoke again, his mouth was much closer to her ear. "Grab the pommel and put your foot in the stirrup." With an exasperated sigh, she followed his instructions. This time, he was there to support her weight and keep her balance in check. "All right. Now, on the count of three I want you to push yourself up. One, two, _three_." His hand slid down further, but before she could protest, he had already pushed her up in the saddle.

"Who gave you permission to do _that?_ " She loathed the unrepentant smile on his face.

"Um," he said, pretending to think, "I believe _you_ did." She raised her brows at him.

" _Me?_ "

"You asked me to get you up on the horse and that's what I did. Now, are you comfortable or do I need to make any adjustments?" Putting her malevolent thoughts aside, Sarah placed her right foot in the other stirrup and decided that she was comfortable.

"No, it's fine."

"Good." He sounded satisfied. Once again, Jareth mounted his horse, grabbing the reins only with his right hand. The sun illuminated the blond wisps of his wild hair and he truly looked like a king. Nudging the sides of the white mare, he told her to walk on. Sarah followed suit.

"We're not going to go through the Labyrinth, are we?" she asked, dreading what kind of dangers and creatures they might stumble upon.

"Worry not, Princess. There is another way out." _Princess?_ Since when did he start calling her _that?_ Sure enough, they came to an archway leading into a garden. Here, they stopped and Jareth began to explain.

"This archway will take us to the southern border of the Labyrinth and from there, we'll have to reach our destination _without_ any magical transportations."

"Let me guess, because there is a rule that says so?" If it was possible to travel with the help of magic, Sarah did not doubt that's how they would have done it. He smiled at her.

"You're not far off. The Underground consists of several kingdoms or realms. Currently, we are in the Goblin Kingdom." Sarah resisted the urge to roll her eyes and say "No shit, Sherlock." Instead, she let him finish explaining. "And each realm is protected by magic, which means that I can only use magical transportation within the borders of my _own_ realm and – of course, _your_ realm – because there is no magic aboveground."

"Right. Sounds logical." It became clearer day by day that even _magic_ had its limits. "So I take it we'll be traveling between realms?"

"That is correct."

"So in which realm does our destination lie?" A couple of seconds passed before he answered and in those two seconds, Sarah could see something surfacing in his eyes. Like old secrets which had been long hidden from the light of day. Memories that were painful for him to relive. They had to be, for his words seemed forcibly spoken and, somehow, out of regret.

"In the Faerie Kingdom." Without another word, he nudged Desdemona's sides again and she walked on through the archway where they both disappeared right before Sarah's eyes. For one moment, she considered just getting the hell out of there. But something made her stay. Perhaps it was her sudden need to know what it felt like to step through a portal. Either way, she didn't have a choice, because Calypso was already heading toward it on her own accord. Sarah gripped the reins tighter and as she felt the magic begin to engulf her, she shut her eyes, only one thought going through her mind…

 _He better be on the other side._

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter is quite short, but I felt like it was a good point to end at. And Sarah, you _did_ ask him to help you get up on the horse. Just deal with it. ;)**


	11. Moon Lake

_Something about me stood apart_

 _A whisper of hope that seemed to fail_

 _Maybe I'm born right out of my time_

 _Breaking my life in two_

 _\- Thursday's Child_ by David Bowie

* * *

Time passed and as the archway remained empty, Jareth began to fear. What if she had changed her mind? Or what if she couldn't get through? Even if she was a mortal, he was dead certain that wouldn't be a problem. It _shouldn't_ be. Then, to his great relief, magic filled the air and she came through the portal. The image made him smile. Her eyes were shut tight and she was holding onto her horse for dear life. Trying not to laugh, he said, "You can open your eyes now."

She heard his voice. That meant she must have made it to the other side; and in one piece, no less. Sarah opened her eyes. He was right before her and, this time, she was actually happy to see him smiling. She relaxed and leaned back in the saddle. "Sorry if I kept you waiting. I was a bit… nervous." Her eyes scanned the surroundings. They were standing on the top of a hill, but not like the one on the other side of the Labyrinth where she had first set foot on Underground soil. Everything on _that_ side was dead and desert-like. Here, tall, green grass grew all over the hill and beyond, as far as the eye could see. The portal had led them straight onto a gravel path which went down the hill and into a forest. "Is this our path?" she asked.

"Indeed, it is. Shall we?" Without waiting for her response, he started down the hill. _Why does he always do that?_ Sarah didn't even command her to do so, but Calypso immediately followed behind her sister.

"Seems like I haven't got that much of a choice, anyway."

Once they had reached the bottom of the hill, the path widened and the two mares could walk side by side. A signpost stood at the edge of the forest with three arrows pointing down the road, reading the following…

 _Moon Lake, 24_

 _The Dwarf Kingdom, 31_

 _The Faerie Kingdom, 63_

Sarah had no idea what kind of unit they used in the Underground, so figuring out exactly how long it would take them to get to the Faerie Kingdom was a task she wasn't even going to take a shot at. She could probably ask Jareth, but she wasn't going to do that, either. She remained silent, avoiding conversation as much as possible. So far, talking to _him_ had only made her upset. However, as they kept going down the road, she soon found that _not_ talking to him made her feel… awkward. _Think about it,_ her inner voice began to speak, _you're going to spend the next week with this guy. If you don't strike up a conversation at some point (that point preferably being_ now _), I think I'll go crazy._ Her inner voice was right. This never-ending silence just wasn't going to work. And now that she thought of it, there were plenty of questions still left unanswered. _Might as well start with_ one _of them._

"Not that I'm complaining, but why is it that you've never approached me before? Why wait for thirteen years?" _Did she actually just speak to me?_ He had grown so used to the silence that hearing her voice was like waking up from a deep slumber. Why wait, indeed?It's not like he had a choice.

"If I _could_ have approached you earlier, I _would_ have."

"What, you mean you _couldn't?_ " She said it as if she thought him to be all-powerful. Though it was flattering, in truth; he was far from it.

"No. Once I returned to the Underground after bringing you home, the barrier between my world and yours remained closed to me. There was no way to get through." He was wise enough not to mention the detail about not even being able to watch her through his crystals.

"Because you had no power over me." He had long wondered if it really was that simple. The only thing he could say for certain was that nothing ever was. Not in _his_ world.

"Supposedly." Thinking back on the time which had passed, Jareth sighed. It was torture. "Thirteen years might not seem like a very long period of time, but to _me_ it might as well have been a hundred. The fear of not seeing you again was growing stronger each passing day. Then, about two months ago, I felt the magic awaken and surge through the Labyrinth stronger than ever before. The barrier had opened."

"Just like that?" she questioned. "For no particular reason at all?"

"It's hard to say. Magic is unpredictable. Especially when it comes to the Labyrinth." Even to _him_ , the maze was a mystery, among other things. It was also a blessing. It was also a curse.

"So that's when you found me?" He gave her a nod.

"Yes. And when I did, it was under most undesirable circumstances." Here, he paused and turned to look into her face. "Another man was already courting you." He looked away before he could catch a glimpse of her reaction.

"Yeah," she said. "A man that I happen to love and who loves me back." It was just a statement, really. But to him, it was also a warning. She was telling him to back off.

It was quiet for another moment before he dared to speak again, changing the topic. "So you earn your living by teaching young children?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I thought you wanted to be an actress." Dreams could change. That much, she had proved to him. But she had been so passionate about acting. So why hadn't she pursued that dream? He tried to get a look at her face from the corner of his eye and he thought he saw that young girl again. The girl who was still fighting the chains within.

"I did, but…" _But what?_ he wanted to ask. Why wasn't she living her dream? "It just wasn't for me." She looked up and met his gaze. "It was for my mom." Ah, yes. He remembered that woman. The woman Sarah had looked up to and idolized as a young girl. That was no longer the case, it seemed.

Sarah had not spoken of her mother in a very long time. Had barely even thought of her. She figured it was all in the past. That woman had made her choice. She didn't care about Sarah and Sarah didn't care about her. So why did she feel like crying? "When I was young," she began, "I wanted to be just like her. But as I grew up, I realized that… I just wanted to be me. You know what I mean?" In the absence of a response, she asked, "Does that disappoint you?"

"No," he said, without a second thought. Nothing suggested he was trying to cover up a lie. He was being earnest. "Not at all. As long as you're happy, that's the only thing that matters."

"And I _am_. I love my job and my…" She was going to say 'boyfriend.' At the last minute, she chose not to. "… my family."

"I would suspect no less. How is Toby?"  
"He's…" _Did he just ask me about Toby?_ "He's… just fine. He's doing great, actually. At school, he's a top student. Much better than I ever was. Practically a genius." She loved him like any sister loved their brother, but Sarah loved Toby even more.

"That's wonderful," she heard Jareth say.

"Yeah," she agreed with fondness. "He's fourteen now. It feels so strange. He used to be so small and now he's almost taller than me."

"Do you think I would recognize him?" If Sarah wasn't mistaken, Jareth was hoping to see her brother again. Instead of crushing his hopes, like she had already done so many times before; for once, she tried to be kind.  
"I'm sure you would."

"And do you think he would recognize me?" Alas, it was going to be difficult _not_ to destroy those hopes.  
"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, it was so long ago and he was just a baby. I'm not sure he has any memories of this place. At least he's never spoken of what happened and, quite frankly, I think that's for the best."

"Why do you say that?" She knew he would be disappointed, but that couldn't be helped.

"Jareth, you have to understand this. Your world… your _reality_ … it doesn't exist in mine. It's only a myth." She looked at the road ahead. It would soon take them up a small slope. That slope was nothing compared to the mountain she had had to climb through the years. "You don't know how hard it's been for me. Ever since I returned, I haven't been able to talk to anyone about what happened, save for Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus, but as you know, I stopped calling them after a while. If I ever talked about it, people would think I'm crazy. Sure, I'm all grown up now and I suppose I could take it, but Toby…" The mere thought of it broke her heart. "He's still just a kid. I couldn't stand it if he got bullied for talking about faeries and goblins as though they were real." It was ridiculous, she supposed, but Sarah was afraid of looking Jareth in the eye when she said it. Long ago, the people of her world may have believed. But that was then.

"I understand." She fought to ignore the sadness in his voice.

* * *

After some time, Sarah started to feel hungry and when she couldn't stand it any longer, she removed her backpack and brought it in front of her. Calypso kept a straight course no matter what, so she didn't feel guilty about letting go of the reins for a minute. "What are you looking for?" Jareth asked. Just in that moment, Sarah found it.

"Food," she stated proudly, showing him the paper-wrapped bar in her hand. He eyed it with a quizzical look.

"What kind of nutrition is _that?_ "

"It's called a protein bar," she explained while peeling off the wrapping. "You wanna try some?" She held it out within his reach, but, as if afraid of it, he recoiled.

"I think I'll pass, thank you very much. But I do believe we should get something to eat and now seems like a good time to rest. After that, we can continue towards Moon Lake." He looked up at the sun shining through the trees and estimated the time. "We should make it before sunset. I thought we could spend the night there. Would that be all right with you?" It was kind of him to ask, but it wasn't like she had a counter proposal. _He_ was the one who knew the way around here.

"You know better than me."

* * *

Just as Jareth had predicted, they arrived at the lake right as the sun began its descent. The lake itself was a perfect, round circle in the middle of a glade. Apart from the birds singing their soothing melodies from up high in the tree tops, there was no one there. All was peaceful. Sarah gazed at the water, which had a silvery sheen to it and she understood why it was called Moon Lake. Something made her feel drawn to it. As Jareth tended to the horses, Sarah walked to the edge of the water and squatted down to touch the surface. It was rather cool and felt as smooth as silk against her skin. She saw her own reflection staring back at her. She looked different, somehow. Younger. Then, the reflection of another face appeared. _His_ face. Sarah craned her neck and saw him standing right behind her, leaning forward slightly. "How is the water?" he asked, whereupon she got to her feet and shook her hand dry.

"Fine, I guess," she replied, not really knowing what kind of an answer he was looking for. He must have been pleased with it, though, because he was smiling.

"Good," he said and proceeded to take the black gloves off his hands. That's when she realized she had never seen his hands before. He always wore gloves. Why, she did not know, but that inner voice of hers thought he should leave them off more often. She turned the voice off right then and there. Since when were hands an interesting topic? Let alone _his_ hands? In spite of herself, she followed their every movement. She watched them unbutton the leather jacket and the waistcoat underneath. Watched as his arms stretched to tug at his white shirt. And that's when she came to her senses.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing?" she all but blurted out. He pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it onto the pile of clothing he had created. _Great, now his chest is bare, too._ And that was the only comment she allowed her mind to make.

"Getting undressed," he said, bending down to pull off his boots. He failed, or more likely, _ignored_ to see her problem. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I can _see_ that! But _why?_ "

"I'm going for a swim. I don't know about you, but I haven't had a bath in almost two days. Care to join me?" Her eyes narrowed, though it did not achieve the desired effect. He merely smiled.

"I happen to have something called dignity. _No_ thank you." A shrug was all she got out of him.

"Suit yourself." His hands continued to move down, her gaze still following. _Big mistake_. Although his abs were easy on the eyes, there was no need to see what was below them. She realized this as he started pulling his pants down. _Slowly_. Oh yeah, he was definitely teasing her. With a loud groan, Sarah tore her eyes away from him, her cheeks turning bright pink. No proof was needed to know he was smirking.

While waiting for Jareth to come out of the water, Sarah went to join Desdemona and Calypso, who were happily munching the grass on the bank. "You seem like a fine pair of horses," she said, petting Calypso's neck. "I hope His Majesty treats you well." The sound of approaching footsteps told her the man in question was coming their way and sure enough, he stepped into view. But he didn't look the same as before. He had changed his outfit. Instead of grey, his pants were brown and the white shirt had been replaced by a black one. In addition, his hair was as perfectly styled as ever. Completely dry. You would never have believed he had stepped out of the water just a minute ago. One of the many perks of having magic, no doubt. "Nice outfit," she commented. Jareth straightened his shirt.

"Yes, I had hoped you might like it. Or perhaps you preferred me without one?" It was very tempting to just slap him in the face again.

"You wish." She pushed past him and started walking towards the forest.

"And where are _you_ going?"

"I'm going to look for firewood," she called over her shoulder. "Or had you planned for us to freeze during the night?" The sound of a crackling fire gave her the answer to that question. She turned back around to see a big, burning flame hovering above the ground, fueled by nothing whatsoever.

"Will this do?" He looked so damn pleased with himself, she could have hated him for it. _Could_ have.

* * *

Jareth said he would go search for some edibles (instead of having to "waste the food they'd brought"), but not without making sure Sarah would be all right on her own. She assured him it was fine and into the forest he went. The light was quickly fading and now stars were gazing down on her from above. Sitting by the fire, Sarah looked out over the lake and an idea came to her mind. There were a few lake rocks here and there, maybe not that big, but big enough to let her have some privacy. Who knew when she was going to get an opportunity to wash herself again? And now that the sun had finally set, she could use the darkness to her advantage. He wouldn't be able to see that much of her this way. Desdemona and Calypso remained still where they lay as Sarah made her way to the water. Going behind the rocks, she stripped down.

The downside with waiting until it got dark was that the water was colder now. As soon as she made contact with it, her body reacted by giving her goosebumps all over. Taking a deep breath to brace herself, she closed her eyes and dived in. It felt like someone had dropped a bucket of ice over her head. It wasn't long before she reached the surface again. No one in their right mind would stay under water _that_ cold any longer. She pushed the wet hair out of her face and began swimming the short distance back to the rocks. That's when it hit her.

She didn't have anything to dry herself with.

Cursing herself for not thinking before acting, she contemplated what to do. Staying in the water was not an option. Peeking out from behind the rocks, she saw that Jareth had made it back to the campsite. And he was watching her. _Way to go, Williams._ There was no other way. She simply had to swallow her pride. "Um, Jareth?" she called, still staying hidden. "Do you think you could conjure up a towel or something?" If he could produce a fire, but not a towel, then what was the point in having magic at all? When he reached the lake, he crossed his arms and casually leaned on one of the rocks. Sarah lowered herself further into the water. Even in the dark, there was no mistaking the smug grin on his face.

"Why? Are you not enjoying your swim?" When she involuntarily shivered, he faked a gasp. "My, Sarah, look how you're shivering. The water's not _cold_ by any chance?" She would have laughed at his sarcasm if it weren't for her teeth chattering.

"Why don't I drag you down and you can feel for yourself?" Her snarky reply did nothing to wipe the smugness off his face. On the contrary, his grin widened and that's when she knew she had said something wrong.

"How considerate of you to invite me." His tone was suggestive and her cheeks grew red, contrasting the blue of her lips. _Damn him._

" _Just give me a goddamn towel!_ "

"Say your right words, Sarah." Everything was a game to him and the only way to get what she wanted was to play by the rules. ' _Say your right words, the goblins said.'_ She knew the right words. Rolling her eyes, she delivered them clearly, without missing a beat.

"I wish you would give me a towel." He raised an elegant brow, still waiting for the second part. " _Right now!_ " It only took one sweeping motion of his hand and there it was; plain white and perhaps not as big as she would have liked, but it would have to suffice. He stretched the fabric and held it out in front of him. He was waiting for her to come to _him?_ Why couldn't he just _give_ it to her? She clenched her jaw and tried to keep it together without shaking too much. "Are you really making me do this?"

"Well," he shrugged, never dropping his outstretched arms, "you could always stay in the water." Once again, there was nothing left to do but swallow the pride.

"All right, but _don't peek!_ Or I swear I will kill you."

"I believe you," he said and turned his face away. Tentatively, she stood up, her body shaking. She watched him carefully as she approached. Not once did he glance her direction. _What a gentleman._ She took the towel from his grasp and wrapped it securely around herself.

"Thank you," she said, letting him know it was okay to look now. And he did. With those penetrating eyes. It didn't matter that she was wearing a towel; she felt naked nonetheless. _Well, don't just stand there like a dummy. Say something!_ She cleared her throat. "Now I wish you would leave, so that I may dress." Was she really going to have to begin each sentence with 'I wish' to make him comply? He bowed his head.

"As you wish… Princess." When he turned his back on her, Sarah shook her head at him. _I wish you would stop calling me that._ That wish, she kept to herself.

* * *

When she got back, they shared some fruits and berries which Jareth had found and in silence, they watched the flames of the fire dance before them. Despite the heat, Sarah was unable to keep herself from shivering. Jareth noticed and reached for one of the saddle bags. Her jaw dropped as she watched him put his whole arm inside it in search for something. "Who did you get that from? Mary Poppins?" It was just like the bag in that movie.

"I'm afraid I have no idea who that is." Finally, he got hold of whatever it was he'd been looking for and pulled it out; a piece of midnight blue cloth. "Here, I brought you a cloak." For a split second, she was paralyzed. Not because of the fact that he had a magic bag, but because he had been kind and considerate enough to bring her a cloak. The slight shock gave her pause for a moment.

"Um… thank you," she finally managed to say. She accepted the cloak and threw it around her shoulders.

"Better?"

"Yes." She pointed to the bag. "How much stuff have you got in there? Doesn't it get heavy?" He shook his head, smiling.

"No. It's as light as a feather."

"Bu how much does it have room for?"

"As much as you'd like. Though," he added, "the more you put in, the harder it is to find whatever you might be looking for at the moment and any object you pack has to be able to fit through the opening."

"Okay. So… no beds, then?" He chuckled.

"No." He reached into the bag once more and took out another item. "But sleeping bags." One for her and one for him. _Well,_ her inner voice returned, _how about that?_

* * *

 **A/N: As always, I'm posting the update late at night when I'm super tired and really don't give a damn whether it turned out all right or not, because the only thing that matters is that I got another chapter posted! That was particularly important this time around, because tomorrow my life as a college student will recommence. I can honestly say I don't think I will be able to post one chapter/week from now on, but I will of course update as often as I can. That's a promise I intend to keep! But hey, this chapter is the longest yet! Hope you didn't think it was _too_ long. This time, most of it was from Sarah's POV, but next time there will be more from Jareth's POV. :) I struggled writing this chapter, because it does take them a while to get to the lake, but who wants to read boring dialogue all the time where nothing happens? So I needed to speed things up a bit (as well as save some of the dialogue for later chapters). I also want to thank everyone who's reviewed/followed/favourited or even read, of course! I'm so happy that you seem to enjoy/take interest in the story!**


	12. The Tavern

_Love, I have wounds_

 _Only you can mend_

 _You can mend_

 _I guess that's love_

 _I can't pretend_

 _I can't pretend_

 _\- Can't Pretend_ by Tom Odell

* * *

Jareth could count the amount of hours he had slept on one hand. As the sun began to rise, he had already been awake for two. Sarah was still sleeping. Getting up, he made sure not to make too much noise and started preparing for the continuation of their journey. They weren't far from the Dwarf Kingdom now. He wasn't fond of the idea, but knew that they had to travel through it to get to the Faerie Kingdom. Dwarves were among the most annoying and repulsive creatures in existence. Goblins belonged to that group as well, but, although he couldn't say he had a penchant for them, at least he _tolerated_ them. He was their king after all.

One hour the sun had been up and still she was sleeping. He hated to wake her up, but they would have to move on soon. He went down on one knee beside her and gently stirred her shoulder. "Sarah," he whispered. She rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah?" she yawned.

"Breakfast is ready."

As they ate, Sarah took out her phone to have another look. Still no reception. Still no calls or messages. The battery was low. "What kind of contraption is that?" Jareth asked, nodding to the device in her hand. She put it away.

"It's a telephone. You use it to communicate with people who are in a different location than you."

"Does that mean it has the same function as a letter? You write to someone and they write you back?" Well, that was _one_ way to go.

"Yes," she said. "Only here, it's called texting. But that's not the only method. You can also talk to someone, if you'd like."

"You mean like we're doing now?" He probably thought she was joking.

"Yes, exactly."

"Even if they're far away?"

"Even if they're far away. That's the whole purpose of the invention."

"And your…" he tried to remember the correct term – " _telephone,_ was it?" She nodded. "Does it work?" _If only._

"Not down here, it doesn't."

"I'm sorry." Three simple syllables and still they took her by surprise.

"It's okay," she assured. "I don't need it, anyway."

Back on the road again, nothing changed much except for the scenery. They left the forest behind them and came to an area of vast green plains. Beyond the plains, there were mountains. So high that their peaks disappeared into the grey clouds that hung like clusters of cotton above them. The entire sky was covered in grey. The sun was nowhere to be seen. Just as long as it didn't rain, Sarah was content.

Traveling for hours on end gave you an opportunity to think about a lot of things. To let your mind go places you had never been to. Places you never even thought you would go. Sarah found herself thinking more and more about her current situation. One question led to another and so on. She thought about which one she'd rather have answered first. "I hope you don't mind me asking this," she started cautiously, "but why do you want to leave?" What was it that he didn't like about being goblin king? With all that power, he could have anything he wanted. So why would he want to rid himself of it? She could see him hesitating. Or maybe he was just thinking of the best way to phrase his answer.

"Because I'm tired of being alone," he finally said. That was it? From her point of view, he wasn't alone.

"Aren't the goblins keeping you company?" The hint of a rueful smile began to form on his lips.

"Goblins aren't exactly the ideal companions a king might wish for. They're witless, hopeless and, let's face it; quite useless. I didn't even want to be their king to begin with." So he was unhappy with his job. That was something she could relate to. Before she became a teacher, she had had a couple of jobs that were, to put it simply; a pain in the ass. Still, she had managed to pull through. With Jareth, however, it was different and she had to take into account that he had been doing this job for decades. Maybe even centuries. So who was she to blame him for wanting to live another life? Out of curiosity, she asked:

"What would you say is the worst part about it?"

"The worst part?" He knew exactly what the worst part was. No need to give it a second thought. "The worst part is when the goblins bring you another child." He remembered every single one. Thankfully, they were few. He remembered their smiles and the sound of their cries. What it was like to hold them. "You take it, look at it and wonder why in the world someone would ever want to wish such a precious thing away. Inevitably, you grow attached to it, even though you know you'll have to give it away soon enough."

"Give it away?" she asked, confused. "You don't turn it into a goblin?" He smiled at her.

"That was merely a tale to frighten the mortals."

"So what happens to it?"

"The child is adopted by a family here in the Underground. As Goblin King, it is my personal duty to find one that is suitable for the task."

"Jareth, that's…" She was at a loss for words. "That's great." At least that was _one_ way of seeing it.

"I suppose it is. Although I would have liked to keep some of them myself." She was the first person to know that. Up until now, it had been a secret.

"Would you have kept Toby?" she asked.

"I would have, yes."

"That's a comforting thought." It was hard to decide whether she was being ironic or not. He wanted to believe she truly meant it. After a pause, she spoke again. Her eyes were cast down.

"So you… You want to have kids?" Again, she was the first to know.

"Yes. I do."

"How many?"

"Plenty. What about you?"

"Oh, um…" What was she going to say? How many did she want? "Well, I haven't really thought about it that much. I mean, one day I suppose I'll have some, but first things first. I'm still not married yet."

"And you're not…" he hesitated, "engaged either?" She held up her right hand.

"Do you see a ring?"

"Well, now that you mention it; no." So she wasn't engaged. For some reason, he felt relieved. But the problem was still there. The one person whom he, at the moment, hated and envied the most. "How long have the two of you been together?" he asked and she knew he meant Darren.

"Two years."

"Two years and he hasn't proposed yet?" It was unbelievable. Unfathomable. Inconceivable! That was the right term for it. "He is clearly out of his mind." She found his small outburst amusing.

"Look, I don't know how you do it here, but in _my_ world these things take time. It's not like in a fairy tale where you fall in love at first sight and then get married."

"I'm not saying that's how it should be," he vindicated himself. "I'm just saying that if he waits any longer to ask the most beautiful, courageous and loving woman to do him the highest honour a man could ever ask for… then he is making the mistake of his life." It was quiet and he feared he had said too much. Then, she appeased him with the sound of her voice.

"I'll tell him that."

In the afternoon, the rain started and they came across a farm where they agreed to wait it out, seeking shelter underneath a roof outside the stables. No one knew they were there. The rain was coming down hard, pattering on the tin above their heads. If they wanted to hear each other talk, they would have to shout. It got colder, too. They both put on their cloaks and Sarah agreed to put her backpack in one of those magic saddle bags instead of carrying it around all the time. It was just the right size to fit through the opening. When the worst had passed, they moved on.

Darkness came upon them. The time of daylight was up. They were closer to the mountains now. A small town came into view. Smoke rose up from chimneys. Lampposts provided warm light in the dark. The horses' hooves clip-clopped on the wet cobbled streets where they passed small houses and shops, all of which were closed. The only thing open was an inn right in the centre of town. Unlike the other houses, this one was what you would call 'human-sized.' Two storeys high with a front porch as well as an adjoining stable. Warm light and cheerful music was pouring out of the windows. There was a sign above the door with letters carved in wood. _Tavern and Lodging._ "Just what we need," Jareth said. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"It would certainly be nice not to have to sleep on the ground."

Another horse – a seal brown steed – stood tied to a hitching rail right outside the entrance. There was plenty of room for more and the steed didn't seem to mind, so they left Desdemona and Calypso with him. As they approached the front door, Jareth grabbed his pendant and tucked it underneath his shirt. If anyone saw it, they would know who he was in an instant and right now, he preferred to be incognito. The door was made of solid wood and its handle, placed on the left side, was a ring of brass. Jareth reached out to grab it, but in the same moment, the door opened. Or, a _part_ of it did. A voice from below made Sarah look down and stumble back a couple of steps. "'Ey! Yer blockin' my path!" It was a dwarf with a long, tousled red beard. Beneath those bushy eyebrows, she could see his eyes sending her a glare.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. Upon further inspection, both she and Jareth found that the entrance was made up of not one, but _two_ doors. They had failed to notice it in the dark, but a smaller door was set _within_ the bigger one. She couldn't help but think it was like a cat flap, but for dwarves. Another small figure, a woman, came up behind the man.

"Come now, Úlf, move those feet! You've had too much ale already. It's time to go home." The bearded dwarf muttered under his breath and started walking – no; _wobbling_ – down the steps. It was a miracle he didn't fall over.

"I hope my husband did not offend you in any way," the woman said after she'd closed the small door behind her. "You'll have to forgive him. 'One pint of ale makes a dwarf strong and hale. One pint more and he'll topple to the floor.'" Shaking her head, she sighed. "'Tis the sad truth, I'm afraid. Well, you enjoy yourselves now. Have a good night!"

"Thanks, you too!" Sarah smiled at the kind woman. They watched her hurry down the steps to catch up with her husband, who was struggling to keep a straight path.

"No Úlf, not that way! Our house is on the _other_ side of the street!" Sarah couldn't keep herself from laughing, but fondly.

"They seem lovely." At this, Jareth merely rolled his eyes.

"As lovely as a drunken dwarf can be. You had better prepare yourself. There will be plenty more inside."

If you were to trust the female dwarf, then the customers in the tavern had not yet had too many pints of ale. The whole place was crowded with dwarves, young and old alike, laughing and dancing and singing. There was nothing but sheer merriment. A band of musicians were playing music on a small stage. It was reminiscent of something Celtic. Two dwarves played the fiddle, harmonizing with each other. Another played the flute while the fourth banged the drums, setting a tempo which Sarah could never dream of keeping up with. Some of them danced on table tops arm in arm, tapping their feet to the rhythm. The ones who did not dance cheered on by clapping their hands and raising their cups, filled to the brim with ale. Her jaw dropped. She had never seen anything like it. "Is it payday, or what?" she asked over her shoulder and realized that Jareth was much closer than she'd thought. As if he were afraid he'd lose her in the throng if he didn't stay close to her. Not that that would be a problem, seeing as they were the tallest people there. Moving on, Sarah spotted whom she assumed to be the owner of the steed; a man, sitting at a table at the very far end of the tavern. He was the only person there, sipping on a drink and watching the dwarves from a distance. Sarah looked over her shoulder again and failed to stifle a laugh. Jareth was holding his cloak up to keep the dwarves from stepping on it. She didn't know what he had against them, but for some reason he regarded them as vermin. Perhaps Hoggle had something to do with that. Luckily, _her_ cloak reached no farther than her ankles and was in no danger of getting stepped on. She was dying to take it off. It was really warm inside the tavern.

"Go over there," Jareth pointed to where the other man was sitting, eager to get as far away from the dwarves as possible. Sarah complied and led the way. Upon reaching the table, she greeted the man. He was fully grown, a maroon cloak about his broad shoulders, with brown hair and a short beard. He had kind, hazel eyes that beamed in the yellow candlelight.

"Do you mind if we join you?" she asked.

"Not at all." With his permission, they sat down across from him and continued watching the dance.

It didn't take long before a dwarf lady came to their table, dressed in a checked red dress with an apron tied around her waist. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "More guests! I will see to it that you're served. Welcome to my tavern!" she greeted, shaking hands with the new arrivals. "My name is Bathilda."

"Are you in charge of the lodging as well?" Jareth asked.

"That I am. Were you planning on staying the night?"

"Yes. That is, if you have any spare rooms?"

"Of course! There's plenty! Why don't you come by the front desk after you've had something to drink and I'll see to it that you get one?"

"That would be great. Thank you."

"My pleasure." She turned to the other man. "How's your ale, Edward?" He raised his cup and flashed a smile.

"Exquisite as always, Bathilda."

"And how's the missus? The baby's due any day now, isn't it?" The man nodded.

"Aye, it is."

"Well, I sincerely hope that when it comes, it will be a healthy little babe. You give Adriana my best."

"I will. Thank you, Bathilda." With that, the hostess was off, disappearing into the crowd.

As promised, a waitress came up and asked what she could get them. Edward insisted they should try the ale, which was the house specialty. Sarah was initially going to settle for water, but figured it might be worth to try something else. Besides, when was she ever going to get the chance again? The waitress took their orders and returned only a minute later with two cups on her tray. Edward raised his above his head. "Cheers!" Sarah brought the rim to her lips. It tasted like honey and ginger. Not too sweet and not too strong. _House specialty, indeed_. "How do you like it?" Edward asked.

"It's delicious! I've never had anything like it."

"That's what I thought. No offense, but you don't look to be from around here." Sarah assured him it was all right. Anyone could tell by the way she dressed that she wasn't a native. Jeans and t-shirts would probably never come into fashion in the Underground.

"None taken. You're correct. I'm actually from the world above."

"Really? What brings you to the Underground?" Jareth decided to cut in.

"I'm afraid that's confidential."

"Yeah," she said, giving Edward an apologetic look. This was Jareth's quest after all. If he wanted to keep it a secret, then she had to respect that decision. Thankfully, Edward took it well.

"I understand."

Suddenly, a trio of young male dwarves came up to their table – or more precisely; to _Sarah_ – and bowed. They were looking dapper in white shirts and leather vests. The one in the middle wore a flat cap on his head. "Care for a dance?" he asked. Was she dreaming or was this really happening?

"What, me?"

"Yes! Come on, let us show you a good time!" She had heard those words before and it hadn't exactly ended well, but at least these dwarves didn't seem to be as wild as the Fireys, nor did they appear to mean any harm. She looked to Jareth.

"Don't look at me," he said. "The choice is yours."

"Well, I suppose it would be nice to stretch my legs for a bit." With that, she followed the men to the dancefloor where the others were cutting a rug. They showed her every step and put them together piece by piece. Like a puzzle. Soon, she was dancing in a ring with every single dwarf in the tavern. They danced around the tables, clapped their hands and laughed. Sarah couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed as much. She was growing very warm, sweat running down her forehead, but it didn't matter. She couldn't have cared any less.

Jareth watched her from his seat. She looked so happy. So perfectly radiant; shining brighter than any star. Even brighter than the sun. "She's a beautiful lass," Edward said. "You're a lucky man." Jareth smiled sadly. He had it all wrong.

"I'm not her man."

"But you wish to be. I can see it in your eyes. Now, I can't say for sure, but I'm quite certain that's the same look I give my wife every day." He paused, distantly looking down into his empty cup. He was somewhere else. Somewhere deep within his mind and heart. "Being her man is the best thing that's ever happened to me. It's a privilege and I cherish every single moment I get to spend with her. Sometimes I have to ask myself if I'm dreaming. It just feels too good to be true, you know? I really don't deserve her." Jareth could relate to that.

"I know how you feel. Unfortunately, my feelings aren't mutual. She wants nothing to do with me."

"Really? She's here _now_ , isn't she? That has to say _something_ , at least." They looked to Sarah again. A brief glance was all it took. Their eyes met and she smiled at him. Time stood still. All he could see was her smile. Even from this distance, her perfect, porcelain white teeth were blinding and he could clearly make out the shape of her pink lips. She had never smiled at him before. Not like that. "I wouldn't give up if I were you," he heard Edward say and when he looked back, he was met with a knowing, almost playful smile. "From the way _I_ see it… she could still come around."

The song had now reached its end and the dancers stopped, clapping their hands. Sarah thanked her partners and made her way back to the table. When she reached them, she was panting, practically out of breath. She reached over to snatch her cup and drank of the cool beverage. "Having fun?" Edward asked her.

"I would be lying if I told you no." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I have a feeling my feet are going to kill me in the morning, though."

"Then you'll know you did a good job." He got to his feet. "I thank you for your company, but you'll have to pardon me; I have a wife to get home to."

"Of course," she said. "Good luck with the baby."

"Yes," Jareth chimed in. "Good luck."

"Thank you. I wish you luck as well." He locked his eyes with Jareth's. "For whatever you may need it." He left three silver coins next to his cup on the table, bowed and took his leave.

"He was very nice," Sarah said as she sat down again, this time taking Edward's place so that she was facing Jareth.

"Indeed." He was still looking at the door, even though their friend had already left them for good. Sarah waved a hand in front of his face.

"Hey. You okay?" He returned his attention to the company he had left, for which he was eternally grateful. He gave her a reassuring nod.

"Yes. Just tired, is all." It was meant to be an excuse, but as he said it, he realized it was the truth.

"You and me both. Right now I just want to go to bed."

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat first?" He sure was hungry. It was a while now since they'd stopped for lunch.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a grilled cheese." She thought back on Darren and wondered what he was doing. If he missed her or if he was still pissed.

"Is that all you want?" Jareth asked. "Cheese?" She chuckled and smiled again. Being this close, it was even more blinding than before.

"I meant a grilled sandwich with cheese, but I don't think they have that here."

"Is it good?" The question gave her pause. His genuine interest made it feel personal. He wasn't just asking about the sandwich; he was asking about _her_.

"Yes. I mean, it's nothing special, but… I like it."

"I would like to try it sometime, if I ever get the chance." _If he ever became mortal._ She took a moment to think about that. If it worked, what would that mean? He didn't know what it was like to live in her world. She would have to teach him. Preferably, she would find someone _else_ to teach him. When all of this was over, she just wanted to go back to her life exactly the way it was. She would teach at the school and live with Darren in their apartment. Maybe he would actually propose in the near future? But there was no use in thinking about that now.

"I'm sure you will."

Jareth took care of the rest. He paid for their meal and their rooms. At first, they had been offered one room to share, but upon explaining that they weren't together, they were given one each. One of the employees helped Jareth take the horses to the stables and carry the bags inside. He gave Sarah her backpack and then they retired, both looking forward to a comfortable night's sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Another update! Yay! :D I wanted to have this finished last night, but some other things came up, so it had to be postponed. I think this is my favourite chapter so far and I have to explain my headcanon to you guys: I truly believe that Jareth loves children and that one of his biggest dreams is to have children of his own. If you look at the way he treats Toby in the movie, it actually makes sense. If he didn't like children, then he would not be playing with Toby, he wouldn't be feeding him or let him sit in his lap. And I think that, because he's recieved all these babies throughout the years, but never got to keep them (the children being adopted by families in the Underground is another headcanon within the fandom), he's realized that he really wants to have kids. Preferably with Sarah. ;)**

 **So yeah, that is my cute/tragic headcanon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next time! :)**


	13. The Girl With the Raven Hair

_I don't mind spending every day_

 _Out on your corner in the pouring rain_

 _Look for the girl with the broken smile_

 _Ask her if she wants to stay a while_

 _And she will be loved_

\- _She Will Be Loved_ by Maroon 5

* * *

Skies were grey today. This was nothing new. For two weeks and a day, the sun had been all but completely absent. A dark, heavy cloud hung over Goblin City, but there was never any rain. Only the cloud and the occasional rumble of thunder. Days like these were made for brooding and he found himself doing it more often than not. The Goblin King was tired of brooding. Tired of spending time in this solitary fortress, which seemed more like a prison. He had to escape. Taking his winged form, the king left his castle behind and flew into the vast greyness above.

As the air around him changed, he knew he was no longer underground. The air was different here, in the mortal world. No words could describe how free he felt. Skies were blue and nature was alive. The sun warmed him even to the bone. _I missed you, old friend._

He was no stranger to this world. He had been here before, a long time ago. A time when wishes were still being made. How much everything could change with time. Some things were still familiar, but not all of it. Where once was a great forest, there was now a village of some kind. A small town, perhaps. Houses lined a long street. He was growing tired now. Spotting a tree in one of the yards, the owl decided he would rest there. Near the branch on which he landed was an open window. A voice came from within. The voice of a child.

Curious, the owl abandoned his branch to sit on the windowsill instead. Just as he had thought, there was a child in the room. A little girl with raven hair, to be precise. She was lying on her stomach in her bed, feet in the air. He couldn't see her face, for it was hidden behind a book. The cover was blue and its title shining silver. " _Cinderella."_ What a peculiar title. The girl was reading aloud and upon listening, he realized that this was a story about magic. Pumpkins turning into carriages and mice into horses! Sometimes the girl had to stop and scrunch her face as she focused hard on correctly pronouncing a difficult word. She didn't always get them right, but she was nevertheless determined not to continue the story until she had tried. She was a stubborn one, that much was certain. Finally, she lowered the book, allowing him a first proper look at her face. He only saw the profile of it, but that was enough. The first thing he took notice of was the roundness of her slightly freckled cheek. Her nose was small and her lips were pink. If only she would turn her head so he could get a glimpse of her eyes as well. From this angle, it was hard to make out any more than the black circle of her pupil. He watched as she closed the book and went to put it away on a shelf. She had to use a chair in order to reach it. With a jump, she landed softly on her feet. That's when she saw him. She stood stock still, eyes open wide. Had he frightened the poor thing? When she realized he wasn't about to fly away or attack her, she relaxed and took a tiny step forward. Still, the owl did not budge.

"Please don't fly away," the girl whispered, more to herself than the owl as she cautiously approached him. She stopped at the window. He was within her arm's reach now. There she stood, looking at him. At last, he could fully see her eyes. Wide, almond shaped jewels, they were. Green like a forest. A small hand reached out. She wanted to touch him. Granting her wish, he let her stroke the side of his head, leaning into her touch. He felt there was a mutual trust between them. She was unafraid and he wanted to keep it that way. To reveal himself would be unwise. Reluctantly, he drew back. He had stayed far too long already. The girl drew back as well as he fluttered his wings, then leaned out of the window and watched him take flight.

When time allowed it, he came back to hear more of the girl's stories, but took great precaution not to be seen. It would do no good for the girl to expect his arrival and grow dependent on his company. Nor would it do _him_ any good to grow attached to her, although he feared there was no stopping that now. He found solace with her. He loved to hear the stories she read. This was the only time he felt happy. If only he knew her name. He would soon find out.

One day, while the girl was reading, a fully grown woman walked into the room. It was impossible not to recognize the traits she shared with the young girl; long dark hair and pink lips. The woman was beautiful to say the least and the moment he saw her, he understood that this was the girl's mother. "Sarah, it's time for dinner."

"Coming, mommy," the girl responded and immediately jumped out of bed to go with her mother. _Sarah._ It was so beautiful. The name of a princess.

* * *

Late one evening he came to make sure the girl was tucked into bed. Perching himself on the windowsill, he saw a man sitting by her bedside. This had to be the father, then. He had just finished reading a story and was getting ready to leave when the girl tugged at his arm. "One more, daddy," she pleaded. The man rubbed his eyes, clearly fatigued.

"Sweetheart, it's late. You should go to sleep."

"Not until mommy comes home." She folded her arms in protest, pouting. Her father sighed.

"Your mother will be coming home late. Way past bedtime. You'll see her in the morning." He kissed her on the forehead and turned out the nightlight. Unwillingly, the girl went to sleep.

He learned through the years that this was not an uncommon thing. The mother was rarely ever at home and her absence only grew with time. He felt sorry for the girl. Even though she still had her father, there was no mistaking the longing she had for her mother. She was lonely. And loneliness was a feeling he knew well.

* * *

The day of the girl's twelfth year had come. There was a gathering of people in the backyard, standing around a table and singing a song. They were singing for the girl. In front of her on the table, there was a cake with twelve burning candles. "Make a wish, Sarah," her father said, smiling. She did not return the gesture.

"I want to wait until mom comes home." The man went down on one knee and looked into his daughter's face with solemnity and regret.

"Sarah, you can't wait forever. You know that, right?"

"She said she would be here. She will come soon. Any minute now, you'll see."

"I know, sweetheart." It pained him to tell her. "But not right now." He gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "Now make your wish." Closing her eyes, she blew out the candles.

Just as the guests were about to leave, the doorbell rang and the girl rushed into the arms of her mother. "Mom!"

"Happy birthday, sweetie!" She gave a large box to her daughter who was overjoyed. In return, she received a disapproving look from her husband.

Later that day, after the girl had gone to bed, her parents had a serious talk which soon escalated into a hot tempered argument. As not to wake their daughter, they went out on the front porch. "Linda, you can't pretend everything is all right just because you show up with expensive presents. You can't _buy_ her happiness. She needs her _mother_. She counted on you today!"

"I know, Robert!" the woman shot back, lighting a cigarette. "I came here as soon as I could, dammit! Is that not enough?" She took the cigarette to her lips.

"You know I hate it when you do that," her husband admonished. "It's not healthy." The woman said nothing, but continued smoking. "Linda, are you listening to me?" Looking out into the night, she answered with a faint 'yes.'

The man took a deep breath to calm himself. His voice was lower now. Gentler. "You're practically never home anymore. She misses you."

"And you don't?" Now it was he who said nothing, but no words needed be spoken. She already knew the answer. "Then maybe it's easier for you to understand why I don't look forward to coming home anymore? I only do it for Sarah."

"And for that, I'm thankful. But we can't keep up this way."

"I agree." After a pause, she said, "I've met someone."

"I know." Unexpectedly, she laughed. But it was a broken laugh.

"Figures. I should have known. Gossip always sells better than the tickets." She looked into his eyes. "Does Sarah know?"

"No, but I fear it will only be a matter of time before she does. Heck, she _deserves_ to know. But not from the front cover of a tabloid. If anyone's going to break it to her, it ought to be you." She gave him a nod.

"You're right. As always. I don't deserve you, Rob."

"When do you have to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. I have a show in the afternoon." She put out her cigarette and headed back inside. "Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

The girl was devastated, of course. He did not like seeing her so sad and broken. At least it was a quick divorce. There was no fight for custody. She would stay with her father and her mother moved out of the house. Their lives carried on and he could tell the father was struggling. Neither of them were particularly happy. Then one day, another woman came into the picture. A woman who made at least _one_ of them happier again, but it wasn't the girl. If anything, she became more miserable than before and the only solace she found was in her story books. The same kind of solace he had found in _her_. As it so happened, one of those stories was about _him_. Or, a version of him, anyway. There had been goblin kings before him, but there was only _one_ Labyrinth. How did she come by this red little book? How did it come to be in the first place? These questions occupied his mind only for a short while. He didn't care how she came by the book. The most important thing was that she had it. The Labyrinth was real. _He_ was real. She didn't know it yet, but she would. When she could find no joy in her own world, why not take her to his? There, she could be whoever she wanted to be. She could have everything her heart desired and more. When no one else would, he vowed to always be there for her.

As the world fell down.

* * *

 **A/N: Honestly? I am not happy with this chapter. I don't know, I wanted to make a sort of background story as to how Jareth discovered Sarah (because I believe he knew her before the events of the movie take place) and also a little bit more on what Sarah's childhood was like with an absent mother. I don't know if it came out that good, but I still wanted to write it and, believe me, I've been spending days and days on this chapter without figuring out how I could make it better and since it's been a while since I posted a new chapter, I figured this would have to do. I am really busy right now with school, so I don't get much time at all to sit down and work on this story. Anyway, hopefully the next chapter will be better and then we will be back to "present day." ;)**


	14. The Faerie Queen

_High above all a cloth of State was spread,_

 _And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,_

 _On which there sate most brave embellishèd_

 _With royall robes and gorgeous array,_

 _A mayden Queene, that shone as Titans ray_

 _\- The Faerie Queene_ by Edmund Spenser

* * *

Sarah woke to the same sound she had fallen asleep to. A clock carved in wood in the shape of an owl hung on the wall across from her bed. It ticked away second by second. The hands showed that it was close to seven thirty. No use in going back to sleep in other words. Jareth said he would call for her early in the morning so they could get back on the road. So without further delay, she got out of bed and hastened to get ready.

He knocked on her door at eight o'clock sharp. By then, she was good to go. Not wanting to stay any longer than necessary, Jareth arranged for them to have takeaway breakfast. Of course, _he_ didn't call it that and when Sarah made a joke about it, he was left scratching his head.

A sign pointed them in the right direction towards the Faerie Kingdom – their final destination. _One step closer to the end of this journey,_ Sarah thought. _One step closer to getting home._ The battery in her phone had died last night, so now there was no way of telling whether anyone would actually be able to contact her. What if Darren had called her? What if he had done what she told him not to and gone to her parents' house? If so, her family would have contacted the police and reported her missing. She hated to think she might have caused them to worry. But there was nothing she could do about it now. All she could do was try not to think about it. She needed a distraction. Smalltalk would do.

"Have you travelled this road before?" she asked him.

"Yes, but only once." The reply was curt and his voice had a bitter edge to it. All morning, he had seemed distant and cold. Had she done or said something wrong?

"You don't like travelling much, do you?" To her astonishment, he actually smiled at her remark.

"You're being very inquisitive. Do you know that?"

"I can stop, if that's what you want."

"For the time being," he said. "If you don't mind, there are a couple of things I'd like to ask _you_." She supposed it was fair enough. She'd been asking a lot of questions lately.

"All right. Go ahead."

"I want to know how the book ended up in your possession." There was only one book he could be referring to.

" _The Labyrinth_?" He gave her a confirming nod. "I found it. On my thirteenth birthday." The memory was still fresh, as though it were only yesterday. "I was going through some books at home and I saw this small one with a red spine that I was certain I had never seen before. I figured I must have simply overlooked it. When I began to read and found that it was a play, I knew it must have belonged to my mother."

"And what if I told you that the book never belonged to your mother?" She furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean?" If it hadn't belonged to her mother, then who? Definitely not her father. As far as Sarah was aware, he had never owned a fictional novel or anything of the sort in his entire life. It just wasn't his thing. Jareth went on explaining.

"What if, one day, it simply appeared in your collection where It knew you would find it?" _It?_

"What, the book?"

"No." He paused. "The Labyrinth." _The Labyrinth? How is that even possible?_ When she heard him answering that question, she realized she must have voiced it out loud. "Sarah, the Labyrinth is so much more than just a maze. It is a living entity with a mind and soul."

"But how – why would it give me a book?"

"You made a wish, didn't you? On your birthday."

"Well, I _did_ , but I certainly didn't wish for any book. That much, I remember."

"Wishes can be interpreted in many different ways. So what _did_ you wish for, exactly?"

That year, Sarah hadn't cared much for presents. Everything she wanted was taken from her, never to return. Her mother moved to New York City. They would only get to see each other every now and then. And her father, well, he met Karen. The woman who took her mother's place. She knew exactly what she had wished for.

"I wished for an escape. The divorce was too much for me, I just…" After all these years, she was surprised at just how difficult it was to talk about it. Some wounds never truly healed. "I just wanted to run away and hide in a world without pain." Judging by the look on his face, it seemed he had expected her to say something along those lines.

"Then there's your answer." She took a moment to think about it.

"Do you think the Labyrinth _knew_ that I loved books?"

"I should think so, yes."

"But how? I mean, it was long before I ended up here."

"You are a believer, Sarah. You believe in magic. That's why the Labyrinth granted your wish." If only she had known then. She breathed in deeply.

"Okay, this is a lot to take in."

"I know," he said. "It is for me, too. For years, I have wondered how you came by that book. It was the first story you ever read about–" He stopped midsentence, as if realizing he'd said too much. She looked into his face, forcing him to finish. "Well… _me_. Even if it was only fiction." She didn't ask him how he knew that, but then again, what _didn't_ he know? She had not known him for that long and yet somehow, it was like _he_ had known her for years. Even before she had first read the book.

"So you're saying that the story in that book never happened? It isn't real?" He pursed his lips.

"Yes and no. You never found the name of the author, did you?"

"Now that you mention it… no. No name of the author _or_ the publishing company." Jareth nodded as he put the puzzle pieces together. There was only one theory he could come up with.

"I think the book wrote itself to suit your needs. The story was all made up, but _you_ were the one who made it real. I think, by giving you that book, the Labyrinth meant to give you strength and hope again. It provided you comfort. Just as it did for me." This piqued her interest.

"How so?" She hearkened to his words.

"When I was crowned king of the goblins, the Labyrinth did not exist. I could barely believe it, but upon waking one morning, I found my castle surrounded by this giant maze. I could feel a great force of magic buried beneath the ground and I realized that that force must have granted _my_ wish as well."

"And what was that?" She found herself leaning closer.

"I wished to be protected from the rest of the world." _Protected?_ Why would the Goblin King need protection?

"Why?" she queried. "Were you afraid of something?"

"No. I just wanted to be left alone."

Sarah stopped her horse. Jareth did the same, knowing full well what she would say when he turned around. "Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. Why did you complain about being alone if that's what you wanted?" She was right to be cross with him. It didn't exactly add up.

"I see your point." He knew she wasn't going to move unless he explained himself. At the same time, he didn't want to give too much away. "I made that wish because I was tired of people's expectations of me and not necessarily because I wanted to live the rest of my life in loneliness. I realized after some time that by making that wish, I had entrapped myself. No one was going to come to me. If I wanted company, I had to seek it myself. But instead of going somewhere in the Underground, I chose to explore _your_ world. I knew that the mortals had begun losing their faith in my kind, but it did not prepare me for the ugly truth I faced. You were right, Sarah. My world does not exist in yours. People don't believe anymore. But there was one girl who did. A girl _I_ still believe in." He had always believed in her. Hopefully, she would, too.

They moved on more or less in silence. They passed a sign telling them it wasn't far until they would reach the Faerie Kingdom and the road went on until suddenly, they came to a stop right in front of a steep cliff. "This is it." Sarah looked around. What did he mean 'this is it'? There was no way for them to continue.

"Are you sure we took the right path?"

"Absolutely positive." He swung his right leg over Desdemona's back and motioned for Sarah to follow him. _Surely he must be joking._ Nonetheless, she complied and followed him to the edge of the cliff where a single rectangular rock stood. It was tall and erect, the size of a broad door. Jareth simply stood there looking at it.

"What are you doing?" she asked tentatively.

"Leading us into the Faerie Kingdom," he said, never taking his eyes off the rock. Sarah gestured to the empty spaces around them.

"We're standing on the edge of a cliff," she said, stating the obvious. "How are we supposed to enter the kingdom? Jump? If so, count me out." Jareth tsk-d at her.

"Sarah, did you learn nothing? Things are not always what they seem in this place. That goes for anywhere in the Undergorund." He pointed at the big block in front of them and she understood he wanted her to have a closer look. She narrowed her eyes when she saw a golden streak trailing across the surface. It was creating some sort of pattern. _No_ , she told herself. It wasn't a pattern.

"Are those…" she hesitated, " _runes?_ " He smiled.

"Indeed they are. This is ancient faerie language." Three lines of runes now stretched across the stone. "You're only allowed entrance into the Faerie Kingdom if you can read the runes."

"And I suppose _you_ can?"

"Of course I can," he said with evident pride. "Do you think I would have brought us here if I couldn't?" Sarah rolled her eyes when he cleared his throat for dramatic effect before reading the inscription. In this foreign language, his voice sounded different somehow. Maybe that was just the effect of faerie language, but Sarah felt herself drawn to the sound. It was… melodious. Enticing. The moment he grew quiet, she came back to her senses and watched in amazement as the stone turned into golden wood. A knocker appeared and she realized that it was a door. Jareth was amused by the look on her face; big eyes and mouth agape. He gestured for her to go ahead and knock. Holding her breath, she grabbed the golden ring and slammed it down against the door three times. Not until it swung open did she breathe again. There was no cliff on the other side. Everything was green, colourful and warm. The sun shone brightly in the blue sky where white clouds rolled on by in the breeze and, in a not so far distance, there lay a grand castle. It was like something straight out of a fairy tale. Then again, this _was_ the Faerie Kingdom. "See?" Jareth said. "A piece of cake." She smiled in spite of herself.

They fetched the horses and walked with them through the door. As soon as it closed shut behind them, a voice called from their right. " _Halt in the name of the queen!_ " A dozen guards in armour and blue capes carrying spears came out of seemingly nowhere. Desdemona and Calypso reared when the armed soldiers approached. Neither Jareth nor Sarah could control them. The guards created a circle around the two, not paying much heed to the horses who backed away in fear. The pair was now surrounded, tips of spears pointing dangerously close to their bodies. Sarah had to press her back against Jareth's to avoid the sharp tips that threatened to draw her blood.

"You were saying?" she said over her shoulder. She knew it was too good to be true. Nothing was ever a piece of cake.

"My mistake," Jareth admitted and the guard standing right in front of him raised his spear to his throat. Judging by his broad shoulder piece which the others lacked, he was the head guard.

" _Silence!_ " he ordered. "Who are you and why have you come here?" Jareth laughed derisively and Sarah cringed. Did he really think this was the right time for that? He was going to get them killed. "You think this is funny, do you?" the guard asked.

"Quite," Jareth said. "I suggest you lower your weapon." He glanced down at his chest and the guard followed his gaze, ultimately landing on the pendant. The guard lowered his spear and commanded the others to do the same. However, the circle remained unbroken.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty."

"Apology accepted."

"What about her?" another guard who was closer to Sarah asked. He was eyeing her up and down like a predator. Jareth turned to face him and it appeared as if he wasn't the only one whose eyes unashamedly lingered on Sarah. She did not protest when he placed his arm around her shoulder. If he wasn't mistaken, she actually seemed to appreciate it.

"She's with me," he stated. "That is all you need to know. We'd appreciate it if you would let us go." The head guard had other things in mind.

"I don't think so. We have sworn an oath to protect this kingdom and it is our duty to bring all trespassers before the queen. We will take you to the castle where you'll await her judgement. Grab those horses!" he ordered two of his men and they obeyed. Finally, the circle was broken and with six guards on either side, Jareth and Sarah were pushed in between, forced to follow their captors to the castle.

Sarah couldn't believe it. They had come this far without encountering any obstacles. For a moment, it had actually felt like it would be a piece of cake. And now this. "Now what?" she whispered, trying not to attract any unwanted attention. Jareth seemed unnaturally calm considering the situation and it made her concerned. He merely shrugged.

"Now it's up to the queen whether we go on or not."

"And you think she won't?" Sarah couldn't deny she was both worried and afraid. This was not what she had signed up for.

"Well, there is one disadvantage," he confessed and her heart beat faster. "She hates me." The fear she felt was quickly replaced by anger.

"Great," she muttered. "That is just… _fucking perfect!_ " She kept a low voice, but it didn't go unnoticed. She earned a warning look from the guard to her left. Jareth leaned in closer to her face, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke.

"I would watch my tongue if I were you." She heaved a sigh and kept quiet from then on, praying that the queen would be merciful.

The castle was huge. Much bigger than Jareth's. They walked across a drawbridge, wide enough for the guards not to break formation. Jareth didn't have a drawbridge, even less a moat. They were led into an inner courtyard and the group of soldiers split. Only three stayed with them, the head guard taking the lead as they marched into the castle. No one said a word as they were escorted straight into the throne room. The interior very much resembled that of a church, except there were no pews and no altar; only a single throne placed on a dais at the very far end, a blue carpet leading up to it. The ceiling was high and domed and the walls were covered by stained glass windows. The throne was not empty. A woman was sitting in it, wearing a haughty expression on her pale face, heavy with makeup. A blue shade covered her eyelids and her lips were painted in light pink. She had dark eyebrows which were a great contrast to her long, blonde hair. The curls went all the way down to her waist. In lieu of a crown, flowers of silver adorned the braid around her head and she was draped in a blue dress with long, wide sleeves. It was hard to determine exactly, but Sarah guessed that the woman would have been in her late thirties, had she been a mortal. She was undeniably beautiful, although Sarah had a feeling there was more to her than what the eye could see.

The group came to a halt at the dais. The head guard kneeled. "My Queen, we have brought you a couple of trespassers." The Faerie Queen never so much as spared him a glance. Her eyes were on Jareth.

"So I see," she said. Her gaze never drifted from Jareth. Sarah might as well have been invisible. "You can go," she dismissed the guards and watched them leave. Now it was just the three of them and for the first time, the queen smiled. It was a smile unlike any other. Sarah wasn't sure if one could even call it a smile. It was a wicked grin. A grin that sent shivers down her spine. This was not how she imagined the queen of the faeries to be like. The woman in question stepped down the dais to meet them. She was rather tall, the same height as Jareth. That's when Sarah noticed something else that the two regents shared. A pendant of silver and gold hung around the queen's neck. It was not identical to Jareth's, but it was a signifier of her royal blood, no doubt.

Sarah felt like she was witnessing a staring contest between Jareth and the Faerie Queen. Jareth was wearing a wry smile which Sarah didn't know what to make of. Clearly there was history between the two. The question was what _kind_ of history? "Well," the queen said, "look who's decided to drop by." Maybe she was wrong? Maybe this queen was a nice person after all? Alas, it was only wishful thinking. The queen dropped her grin, her voice stinging cold as ice. "Uninvited."

* * *

 **A/N: And the plot thickens! Hopefully you liked this chapter and look forward to more. This is where the story starts to get really interesting and it's not just going to be Jareth and Sarah riding and talking anymore. Things are about to happen! Who do you think the Faerie Queen is and what kind of history do you think she has with Jareth? I'd be very interested to know your thoughts!**

 **Also, I know I mentioned a while back that I wanted to make illustrations for this story and post them on my DeviantArt, but honestly, I don't think it's going to work. It would just take too much time and it takes a lot of time already just writing a chapter. Besides, it would be a shame if a chapter had to be delayed just because I want to finish an illustration to go with it. Maybe I could make something in the future when the fic is finsihed. At least I've made a cover for the story, so there's always that. Once again, sorry that it's been so long since the last update, but I'm a busy person. Especially this term when I have so many essays to write for school. I just want to say thank you to anyone who's reading this! Even if you don't leave a review or like/follow, just know that I still appreciate it and I'm happy to share this story with you. :)**


	15. Secrets Unveiled

_You spend your nights looking at the stars_

 _Thinking your life would be better on Mars_

 _\- Stone_ by James Young

* * *

The Faerie Queen's glare could cut like a knife. Her eyes were just like everything else about her – blue. Deep blue. Like an ocean without an end. Sarah could feel the tension building between the two regents and wondered who was more powerful. The queen spoke again, lifting her chin high as to make herself appear taller or more important. "What does the Goblin King have to do in my domain?"  
"I'm simply paying a visit," Jareth answered in his most pleasant tone. The queen snorted and laughed in his face.

"Ha! I'm supposed to believe that? You haven't paid me a visit in years!" Finally she acknowledge Sarah who, now knowing the feeling of being under the queen's burning gaze, quite preferred the state of invisibility. "And who's this?" Jareth decided to answer that question.

"This is Sarah. She's from the Aboveground."

If Sarah had blinked, she might have missed the transformation on the queen's face, which softened considerably and she was all of a sudden looking at her in a whole new light. At first she looked surprised, almost shocked even, but then a knowing smile spread across her sharp features.

"I know you. You're the girl who solved his precious labyrinth, aren't you?" Now it was Sarah's turn to be surprised. How could she possibly know about that? She turned to Jareth for an explanation, but he had none to offer, deliberately avoiding her gaze. _Oh, so_ now _you let me do the talking._

"Um… yes," Sarah said. "That's me." Her voice was small, but steady. The queen laughed heartily.

"Well, well. What do you know." In the blink of an eye, every trace of humour vanished and she went back to her serious self. "Now tell me why you're really here." Her gaze went back and forth between the two as she waited for an answer. Sarah, being afraid of the consequences, considered telling the queen why they had come to her kingdom. But ultimately, Jareth decided to come clean.

"We're trying to get to Algernon's Peak." The queen blinked a couple of times and Sarah wondered if she knew what he was talking about. Jareth had never mentioned anything about a peak to Sarah before, but then again, there were probably a lot of things he had not mentioned.

"Wait, you're not…?" Once more, the queen looked to Sarah, then back to Jareth, as if they were two pieces of a puzzle supposed to match, yet somehow didn't. She opted for the piece she already knew since before and decided to go from there. "May I speak with you?" she asked Jareth. "Alone." Sarah did not have to be told twice, but took a few steps back to give them some privacy. She watched as the queen leaned in close to Jareth's face and they started whispering to one another, occasionally glancing over at Sarah for whatever reason. She felt like a kid who had been left out on the schoolyard. So to shake that feeling, she decided to have a look around instead of just awkwardly standing there. Craning her neck, she looked up at the domed ceiling and admired the intricate details in the architecture. She scrutinized the stained glass windows, four of which depicted a woman wearing the very same pendant the Faerie Queen was wearing right now. She concluded that they all had to be the queen's predecessors.

Just as Sarah was too lost in thought, the two monarchs were in too deep a conversation to notice the sound of feet closing in at a rapid pace. Sarah jumped when two small figures ran past on either side of her and a pair of gleeful voices began chanting in unison; "Uncle Jareth! Uncle Jareth!" They were two little girls, no older than thirteen. More than that, Sarah realized, they were identical twins with long auburn hair and wearing similar dresses, albeit different colours. One was mint green and the other a navy blue. Sarah questioned her own hearing. What did they just call him?It was difficult to process, but when Jareth saw the girls and smiled at them – the biggest smile Sarah had ever seen on him – and went down on one knee to greet them, everything fell into place. The twins almost knocked him over as they ran into his open arms.

"Hello, my little pixies!" he said and Sarah felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"We've missed you!" the girls all but exclaimed.

"And I've missed _you_." Jareth tapped their noses, receiving a giggle from both of them in return. Sarah pinched herself. This wasn't a dream. She cleared her throat to speak and they all looked to her.

"Um, sorry for interrupting the moment but, if I understand this correctly, the Faerie Queen is your sister?" Jareth untangled himself from the arms clinging around his neck and got to his feet, looking somewhat guilty.

"Oh, so he hasn't told you?" The queen's voice was dry and flat and the lack of surprise revealed that this wasn't unexpected of Jareth.

"I didn't think it was necessarily important," he replied with feigned indifference. The queen huffed.

"Not important at all. I'm only your _sister_ , aren't I?" Her blatant sarcasm had the girls giggling and Sarah couldn't help but find it a bit amusing as well. One of them, the one in the green dress, tugged gently at Jareth's jacket to get his attention.

"Uncle Jareth, who is the pretty lady?" He looked down at his niece, then up at Sarah and gave her a somewhat apologetic smile.

"Girls, I'd like you to meet Sarah. She's from the world above." The twins gasped, their eyes wide with amazement.

"We've never met anyone from the human world!" the girl in blue said and her sister nodded enthusiastically. The pair was obviously fascinated and when Jareth said he was sure Sarah would love to tell them all about it, they started jumping up and down like bunny rabbits.

"Oh, would you, Lady Sarah?" they asked her. How could she say no?

"Of course I would." The girls were pleased, as was their mother.

"That's very generous of you, Sarah," she said. "I know how much my daughters appreciate it."

"It's only my pleasure to help, Your Majesty."

"You may call me Isobel. And this is Tilly," she gestured to the girl in blue, "and Rowena," referring to the one in green. The latter looked up at Jareth.

"Uncle Jareth, are you going to marry her?" All of a sudden, Sarah forgot how to breathe. She looked to Jareth and found that he was just about as horrified as her. Rowena noticed. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Her innocent inquiry was accompanied by a tilt of the head. Tilly did the same. Jareth cleared his throat.

"No, I'm not going to marry her. Sarah is merely a friend." The twins seemed slightly disappointed by this, but accepted it all the same.

Sarah wasn't sure what to think. Upon finding out that he had a family in this place – a quite charming one at that which he seemed to care for – it was hard for her to understand why he would want to leave them behind. Isobel had said that Jareth hadn't paid them a visit in years and Jareth had said that his sister hated him, so there was probably some bad blood between them, but for what reason? Seeing the happy faces before her, Sarah couldn't detect _any_ traces of bad blood whatsoever. She would have to ask Jareth about it later.

"And where are the princes?" Jareth queried his sister. So the queen had sons too. Sarah wondered how many.

"Well, Tristan is…" Isobel stopped herself mid-sentence upon realizing she had no idea where her eldest son was. "Heaven knows where Tristan is," she sighed. "Finlay on the other hand should be with our governess at the moment. Speaking of which…" Isobel turned her gaze upon the twins. "Aren't you girls supposed to be with _her_ at this time of day?" They looked down in shame and their mother sighed. "Don't tell me you ran off again without permission?"

"We're sorry, mother."

"You had better be. Whatever am I going to do with you?" In that moment, another person entered the throne room.

"There you are!" A middle-aged, somewhat podgy woman came walking down the blue carpet. With her was a little boy whom she was holding by the hand and he was trying his best to keep up with her pace. He had to be no older than four, judging by mortal years. Unlike his sisters, his hair was dark blond and cut short and he wore a white shirt with a blue waistcoat on top. Sarah thought him adorable. "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty," the woman said, panting slightly as she came up to the group and Sarah noted she had a Scottish accent. "I really tried this time. One moment they were there and when I looked again they were gone! It's easier to keep track o' this little fellow." She raised the boy's hand even higher and gazed at him fondly.

"That's quite all right, Merryweather, it's not your fault," Isobel reassured and gave the twins yet another judging look. Mollified, the governess wiped her brow. Then her eyes widened at the sight of Jareth.

"Your Majesty!" she all but gasped and hastily curtsied low in front of him. "Such an honour to have you here again."

"Oh, I doubt it," Jareth replied, somehow managing to sound both sarcastic and modest at the same time.

Without her knowing, the little boy had wriggled free of Merryweather's grip and now tentatively approached his uncle. Jareth smiled down at him. "And who do we have here? Well, if it isn't the handsome young prince." He reached down and picked the boy up into his arms. The boy laughed. "And look how you've grown! You're not the little princeling I saw last time I was here." Everything that happened right before her eyes was so hard for Sarah to grasp. The picture she had envisioned of the Goblin King was so very different from what she was seeing. Just when she thought she had him figured out, he altered the picture and added more depth to it. So far, she had only scratched the surface. There was no way of figuring him out just by a quick glance. No, you needed to look long and hard and scrutinize every detail, name every colour and determine every texture in order to grasp the enigma that was Jareth. And perhaps not even _then_ could you truly tell who he was.

"Do you want to say hello to Sarah?" She was brought back from her train of thought at the mention of her name. The little prince was watching her with a rather timid, yet curious expression. She offered him a warm smile to help him feel at ease. "It's all right," Jareth said, "she doesn't bite. Tell her your name."

"Finlay," the boy said after a moment of contemplation. He didn't trust just anyone with his name.

"It's nice to meet you, Finlay. I'm Sarah." She extended her hand and the prince eyed it suspiciously, but his uncle encouraged him to take it.

"Go on," he said, "you know how to shake hands." With a little encouragement, Finlay finally let Sarah take his small hand in hers. "See?" Jareth said. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" With that, he put his nephew back down and the boy ran over to his mother.

"Perhaps Sarah would like a tour?" Isobel suggested.

"Yes, very much so," Sarah confessed.

"Excellent! We'll start right away."

"Can we come too?" the twins asked. "We want to show Lady Sarah our room."

"All right, we'll start there. Girls, lead the way." Rowena and Tilly happily complied and skipped ahead. The rest of the party followed; Sarah and Jareth forming the end of the line. She smiled at him.

"I didn't know you had such a way with kids."

"Don't sound so surprised. Taking care of wished away children is what I do for a living. I'll have you know that Toby thoroughly enjoyed being in my company." She didn't doubt him for a second.

"I believe you."

The Goblin King's castle seemed like nothing but a small mansion in comparison with the Faerie Queen's. The corridors were not as narrow, nor were they lightly decorated. Tapestries and paintings galore hung on the walls. One painting in particular caught Sarah's eye and she stopped to examine it. Jareth didn't even have to look to know which painting it was. He grew up in this castle. This was his childhood home. And that painting had never been moved once in its life. In spite of himself, he looked up at the grand portrait. A boy and a girl stood next to each other, looking straight ahead with empty gazes. The girl was just a little bit taller, her hand placed on the boy's right shoulder. Both of them had long, blond hair; the boy's was tied in a low ponytail. Neither was smiling.

"That's you, isn't it?" Sarah asked. "You and your sister."

"What gave it away? My good looks?" A soft chuckle rose from her throat.

"Sure. Let's call it that." The boy in the picture, barely a young teen, was a little bit awkward, but there were definitely hints of the handsome features he wore today. For being so young, his cheekbones were well defined. If Sarah didn't know any better, she'd say the lighting in the portrait was purposely made to enhance them. The eyes on the other hand, looked different from what she was used to. "It's a very good portrait," she admitted. "But your eyes don't look the same."

"No, that was before the incident." He made it sound so grave to her ears.

"What happened?" Recognizing her concern, he smiled it away.

"Oh, nothing too serious. Just my sister practicing a spell on me – without permission of course – thusly gifting me with a permanently dilated pupil."

"What did your parents say?"

"They were unhappy of course, but considering there was no real harm done, they let it go fairly quickly. I, on the other hand, did not forgive Isobel 'til long after. Even though it still bothers me." Sarah raised a curious brow.

"It does? I like the way your eyes look." Realizing what she'd just said, she held her breath as he turned to look at her and found they were both equally surprised. Saved by the bell, the twins suddenly called from far ahead.

"Uncle Jareth! Lady Sarah!" That was all they needed to hear to know that it was time to move on. There was still much to be seen.

Their last stop was the royal stables, where they saw two familiar horses tied up right outside the entrance. One black and one white. "Jareth, look!" Sarah said and pointed. "There's Desdemona and Calypso."

"Oh, you came here on horseback?" Isobel asked her brother.

"Yes, we did. Right before we got arrested, that is." She merely rolled her eyes.

"All these years and you still never fail to be overdramatic." Without warning, she stopped in her tracks. "Tristan!" she exclaimed. "There you are!"

A boy, or more like a young man, had just come round the bend and quickly turned the other way at the sight of the queen. Alas, she had already spotted him and he had no choice but to turn around and face her. He bared his teeth in an innocent smile. "Hello mother. Fancy seeing you here." He had shoulder length brown hair, slightly ruffled, and eyes even bluer than the sky. In his poet shirt, leather vest and tall boots, he truly looked like a prince. "Missed me?" Isobel placed her hands on her hips.

"If you told me where you were going instead of sneaking out each time, maybe I wouldn't have to miss you as badly. Or worry. Now come here and say hello to our visitors."

"We have visitors?" Tristan had not yet seen them, but as soon as his mother stepped aside to reveal Sarah and Jareth, he was beaming with joy. "Uncle? Is it really you?" He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Who else would I be?" Jareth playfully replied. Tristan ran into his arms.

"Uncle! What a surprise!"

"A good one, I hope."

"Of course!" Tristan pulled away. "I'm thrilled!"

Jareth may have tried to hide it, but Sarah could see that Tristan's words meant a great deal to him. Much more than he would ever let on. The next thing she knew, his hand was on her back, gently pushing her forward. "Tristan, I'd like to introduce you to Sarah – champion of the Labyrinth."

"Hi," she said a little awkwardly, extending her hand once more. Tristan's mouth was wide open as he stared into her face. Only when Isobel cleared her throat did he come to his senses and grabbed Sarah's hand in both of his, evidently astonished.

"Hello!" he said. "Forgive me my poor manners, my lady. I must confess I'm a bit baffled. But most of all impressed! So it's true, then?" he asked his uncle. "Someone actually solved it?" Sarah was a bit baffled herself.

"Does everyone here know about that?" she asked. "Is it really _that_ big of a deal?"

"Considering no one has ever solved it before," Isobel said, "I'd say it is."

"What, no one's ever solved it before?" She had thought that surely there would have been others before her. But apparently, that was not the case.

"Not one," Jareth said. "Only you." Was that somehow supposed to make her feel special? Because if so… it worked. She was filled with a sense of pride and also… something more. She just didn't know what.

"It's getting late," Isobel noted and she was right. The sun was setting and her youngest were claiming to be hungry. "Let's go back inside and prepare for dinner. You are staying the night, aren't you?" she asked her brother, though it was more of an assumption, for she didn't give him a chance to answer. "We'll make sure you are well fed and rested for tomorrow's journey." Knowing he did not have a say in it, Jareth could do nothing but thank his sister. Besides, the horses could use some rest and he had a feeling Sarah would love to stay the night. Not that he _wouldn't_. On the contrary, Jareth adored spending time with his nieces and nephews. But that was the problem. He hadn't seen them in so long and he hadn't planned on coming back to visit them either. The more time he spent with them, the harder it would be saying goodbye. His plan was to leave this place. For good. And he couldn't allow anything to change his mind.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again! It's been a while. I just hope you liked this chapter. If you guessed that the Faeire Queen was Jareth's sister, then you were right. I just really liked the idea of him having a family, even though he's isolated himself from them. There will be more of Jareth's past and his family in future chapters. Also, in case you'd be interested to know, my fancasting for Isobel is Victoria Smurfit. If you've watched Once Upon A Time, she is the one who plays Cruella De Vil and as I was writing Isobel's character, I kept hearing Vicotoria's voice and thought she seemed a perfect fit.**

 **The latter part of this chapter was sort of rushed, even though I've spent a great deal of time on it, I just had no idea how to make it better. I just have to accept that everything can't be perfect. Don't know when the next chapter will come. This month and the next, my top priority is to write my degree project in literature.**


	16. The Alluring Woods

_Come feed the rain_

 _'Cause I'm thirsty for your love_

 _Dancing underneath the skies of lust_

 _Yeah, feed the rain_

 _'Cause without you love, my life_

 _Ain't nothing but this carnival of rust_

 _\- Carnival of Rust_ by Poets Of The Fall

* * *

In the evening, they had a feast. Sarah was overjoyed to have a proper meal for once, having grown tired of eating protein bars. After a scrumptious three course dinner, it was time for the little ones to go to bed. She would have liked to do the same, but was invited to join the others in the drawing room for a glass of wine. Tristan asked if he could have one too, but his mother explicitly said he was still too young, much to his dismay. Nevertheless, he sat down with them, keeping them company. He was very curious about the champion of the Labyrinth. "So how come you're back in the Underground, Sarah?" he asked. She exchanged a look with Jareth sitting next to her on the settee, expecting him to show disapproval, but what she got instead was an encouraging nod. He was fine with her telling the truth.

"Well, the truth is your uncle _tricked_ me into returning." Tristan grinned widely, a look of admiration directed at Jareth. It seemed he looked up to him a great deal, even at his worst.

"Why am I not surprised? But _why_ did he do it?" Sarah brought her glass to her lips, taking a sip before casually answering,

"He asked me to marry him." At this, the young prince's mouth fell open and he was no longer looking to his uncle with admiration, but with shock, though it was not to be mistaken for any sort of disappointment. On the contrary, he had long been wondering when his uncle was going to settle down with a wife of his own.

"You did _what?!_ " Jareth responded with an unapologetically proud smirk, but it lasted for only a second.

"But don't tell your sisters about that," he said. "As a matter of fact, I was turned down." Here, he glanced over at Sarah who tried to hide her own smirk behind the glass. It surprised her how lightly they could speak of the subject, but it felt good.

"No offense, brother," Isobel joined in on the conversation, "but I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to be queen of the goblins either." She scrunched her face in disgust. "Nasty, ugly little creatures."

"At least goblins don't bite," Sarah mumbled just loud enough to hear. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jareth bring a hand up to cover a smile and Tristan started laughing. His mother gave him a judging look.

"Tristan!"

"I'm sorry mother, but she's right. Faeries can be quite bothersome."

Not long after, Tristan bid them goodnight and headed to his room. "He's grown into a handsome young man," Jareth complemented his sister. "He looks a lot like his father." Isobel sighed deeply.

"If only he resembled his father in personality half as much as he does in looks. If anything, he takes after _you_ a lot more. Always running off every chance he gets, dreaming of a different life. He doesn't want to be king." Jareth quirked a brow.

"No?"

"No," Isobel confirmed. "I don't know what to do with him."

"Well, you have three other heirs, don't you? Surely _one_ of them will carry on the legacy?" This managed to provoke a smile from the queen, if but a small one.

"You're right. The same cannot be said for you, I'm afraid." It slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it and there was an awkward tension hanging in the air. Sarah cleared her throat.

"Um, if it's all the same to you," she spoke to the queen, "I'd like to retire for the night as well."

"Of course! You must be exhausted and you have a journey ahead of you in the morrow. Onora!" She called for one of the maids standing by in the room.

"Yes, my queen?" The girl gave a dutiful curtsy, hands clasped in front of her. She was young, no older than twenty, with blonde hair tied in a ribbon at the back of her head.

"Would you please escort Sarah to the grand guest room on the second floor and help her settle in for the night?"

"Right away, my queen." The girl smiled kindly at Sarah. "This way, miss." Sarah was about to stand, but Jareth made it before her. His hand held out, it would just be rude to not accept it.

"Thank you," she said after he had helped her up. "Um…?" Whatever she was about to ask, he already knew what it was.

"Sleep for as long as you like," he said. "We're in no hurry."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks. Um, goodnight."

The royal siblings watched Sarah follow the maid out of the room and once they were out of sight, Isobel did not hesitate to comment on her brother's love interest. "She's a pretty little thing. Quite fiery too, I might add." Perhaps a bit _too_ fiery in the presence of royalty, but Isobel took no offense. She rather admired the young woman. Jareth smiled softly with a small shake of the head.

"Don't I know it." Isobel examined her brother's face and came to the conclusion that she had never seen him this way before.

"You really like her, don't you? I can see it on your face. You have never looked at any woman the way you look at her. As far as I'm concerned that is," she added.

"And you are correct. That's because no other woman has deserved it." Isobel tried, but failed to understand him. There had been other women in Jareth's life and in her opinion, they had all been deserving of his attention. Though she liked Sarah, and she could see why Jareth did, given the history she had been privy to that afternoon, it was beyond her how he was still trying to win the girl's affection.

"I'm surprised you bother to give her your full attention when she's evidently brought you nothing but trouble."

"And _that_ , my dear sister, is why she deserves my attention. She's the only one who has proved to be an equal of mine." Isobel suppressed the urge to laugh and resolved to give him a teasing smile.

"No offense, brother, but I think that's where you're thoroughly mistaken. From what I've learned, the two of you are _not_ equals. You do not deserve her." As if he didn't know it already. Sarah was really too good for _anyone_. Least of all him. After all the things he had done, especially during the course of the past week, what good reason did she have to like him? Even less _love_ him? Jareth sighed.

"I know. Now will you please stop trying to make me feel inferior?" He wanted to wipe that sickeningly smug grin off her face.

"Oh, but I enjoy it far too much. Besides, isn't that what sisters are for?" Though he couldn't deny he was happy to see his sister again, were it not for the circumstances, he might have enjoyed their banter as well.

* * *

Sarah's belongings had now been restored to her and she accepted Onora's kind offer to take care of her laundry. She sat on the bed and emptied her backpack of its contents, save for the clothes that were in need of washing and handed it to the maid. The grand guest room sure lived up to its standards. It was big, but also decorative and colourful. Definitely not as empty-feeling as the room she'd been given back at Jareth's castle. Onora showed her the wardrobe which was filled with some clothes for both men and women, including nightwear. "I didn't seem to find a nightgown in your bag," Onora said. "Might I suggest this one?" She picked one out, made of pearly white silk. "I should think it's about your size." Sarah wasn't entirely sure how to respond. She wasn't used to being waited on like this and somehow it didn't feel fair. Sure, this was the girl's job, but Sarah felt it was unnecessary.

"I'm sure it will do just fine. Thank you, Onora."

"Would you like me to help you put it on?" Now _that_ was _definitely_ unnecessary.

"Oh no," Sarah shook her head. "I think I can manage on my own." She took the silky cloth into her hands and stepped behind the French dressing screen to change. "But you're welcome to wash these," she said and tossed her jeans and t-shirt over the screen. Onora picked them up in a heartbeat.

"Of course, miss. Would that be all?"

"That would be all," Sarah said as she emerged from behind her shelter, dressed in her new sleepwear. "Thank you. You can go." Onora curtsied.

"Good night then, milady. If you need me, just ring the bell and I shall return to you."

"Right. Good night." The door closed behind the maid and Sarah could finally relax. She was dying to get some sleep and there was a bed waiting to provide just that.

* * *

A new day had come. And not just any day. _If all goes well_ , Jareth thought to himself, _this will be my last day of misery_. He was saddling up the horses in the stables, making sure everything was in place. Isobel entered through the doorway. "I thought I might find you here," she said. "Are you so eager to leave?"

"That is an understatement," he replied. "I have waited too long for this." He was excited to say the least. His sister, however, did not display the same amount of excitement.

"When will you be back?" she asked, for she did expect him to return before moving on.

"If all goes well, we should reach the peak in a few hours. You can expect our return tomorrow afternoon." Isobel was surprised to hear this.

"So soon?" He looked into her eyes and the smirk on his lips was enough to unsettle her. She was not going to like his next words.

"We're taking a shortcut." Her fears confirmed, Isobel felt her heart sink low in her chest.

"You mean you're going through the woods? Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Seeing as she was obviously concerned, Jareth took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze.

"Trust me Isobel. We can do it." Reluctantly, she sighed in defeat.

"For Sarah's sake, I hope so. Be careful."

"We'll be careful," he promised her. "By the way, do you know if she's awake yet?"

"I believe so. Onora told me she had brought her breakfast about half an hour ago. Should I let her know you're here?"

"There's no need," a voice said from behind and they found it belonged to the woman in question. Sarah smiled at them. "I'm here." Instead of her mundane jeans, t-shirt and jacket, she was donning an entirely new outfit made out of a faded white poet's blouse, much like the one she had worn as a young teen, a brown leather vest with a popped collar on top and black riding pants and boots to go with. Her hair had been tied up in a high ponytail, but her bangs hung loose to frame her face. Needless to say, she had rendered the two regents in front of her speechless.

Jareth could not believe his eyes. He had never thought to see her wear Underground-fashion. But it became her really well. And he liked that she had put her hair up. Isobel was the first to speak. "Why Sarah, you look perfectly wonderful!"

"Thanks," she said. "But I have to give all the credit to Onora. She picked it out for me."

"I must say she has a good sense of fashion. Wouldn't you agree, Jareth?" Isobel discreetly nudged him with her elbow.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, indeed."

"Is everything ready?" Sarah asked him, to which he replied with another "yes." They took the horses outside and mounted with perfect ease. Sarah had learned to do it without help now. From a short distance, voices were shouting in unison and they were getting closer. Tilly and Rowena came running around the bend, followed by Tristan who was carrying Finlay in his arms at a more leisurely pace.

" _Uncle Jareth!_ " the girls called out and made it to an abrupt halt before him. "You have to say goodbye before you leave!" Jareth smiled down at them.

"Ah yes, how rude of me to forget."

"And you're not leaving without a goodbye hug!" Rowena told him, placing her hands on her hips. Her little brother seemed to share the same opinion. Finlay was reaching his arms out to Jareth, so Tristan held him up, letting the boy embrace his uncle. "Lift us up too, Tristan!" Rowena demanded and her brother complied, lifting the twins up one at a time. The prince himself resigned to simply giving his uncle a pat on the shoulder, saying,

"I think you can do without one from me."

"No matter," Jareth said. "You'll see me again soon enough."

They parted ways and Sarah waved the royal family goodbye, already looking forward to the moment she would see them again.

With the open fields that awaited ahead of them, Sarah couldn't help but occasionally glance back at the castle they were putting behind them, growing smaller and smaller each time she looked. But there was more than just a castle they were putting behind themselves. What Jareth was about to put behind _him_ self _._ Forever. It was a sad thought. One that she simply could not keep to herself. "Jareth, why do you want to leave?" Her question did not receive an immediate response. He didn't even turn to look at her. "I can see you care for them," she went on in a soft voice. "And that they care for you, too." Finally, he decided to look her in the eye.

"You're right. I do care. But there is more to it than that." He turned away again, almost regrettably. "Things you don't know."

"Then tell me."

That was the second time she had surprised him in only one hour. Did she truly care to know? Two days ago, she would have done anything to avoid conversation with him and now she was actually _initiating_ it. And he did not have the heart to refuse her. Better tell it from the start. "I suppose you noticed that there is no Faerie King." The way he said it suggested that this was a story without a happy ending. Sarah _had_ acknowledged the fact that there was no king, but had not actually given it much thought as to why.

"What happened?"

"About three decades ago, my kin was at war with the giants. Many kingdoms fought in the battle, including the Faerie Kingdom. But they weren't faring well against the giants. The Faerie King, my brother in law – Brendan was his name – wrote to me, asking for aid." He made a slight pause and turned his gaze to the ground. "But I didn't give it." The guilt he had kept locked away came back to the surface. He wasn't proud of it.

"Why not?"

"Why do you think?" he asked, implying that the answer was obvious. "The denizens of my kingdom are nothing but pitiful creatures and my royal guard consists of daft goblins. You went up against my so-called army. Look me in the eye and tell me that it wasn't, as you would put it, 'a piece of cake.'" She didn't. Resignedly, he shook his head. "They needed soldiers. And soldiers I could not give them."

"Surely you could have aided them in some other way?" she suggested kindly, sounding like a naïve, hopeful child. He was sorry to disappoint her.

"I'm not sure it would have made that much of a difference. Either way, Brendan died. He gave his life for the good of his kingdom. And I refrained from battle for the good of mine. Needless to say, I will always be a coward compared to him. That's why I haven't been here for so long. I've been blaming myself for his death and I just…" He drew in a breath and finished his sentence with a sigh. "I just couldn't face Isobel and the children because of it." A look of sympathy crossed her face without effort.

"It didn't look to me like they were blaming you." He gave her a small, appreciative smile.

"Perhaps not."

* * *

They arrived at the foot of a small hill and, climbing up it, they were faced with a thick pine forest. There was a narrow opening leading onto a path. They stopped in front of it and Sarah had the strangest feeling that this forest was alive. She could swear she felt its cold breath through the opening and it gave her the chills. "What is this place?" she asked.

"They call it the Alluring Woods. Anyone who enters will be put to test. There is an ancient force inhabiting these woods that tries to lure its intruders by showing them their deepest desires and trick them into staying." Sarah didn't need to hear more to know what the inevitable outcome of that would be.

"Until they die?" Jareth nodded silently.

"It might not be a painful death, but, believe me, you don't want to be trapped in these woods." Sarah was confused.

"So then why are we about to enter?" His smile told her that he was glad she asked.

"Because, unlike so many others who have travelled this route, we are not here to stay. We're simply passing through. Remember Precious, your will is strong. I believe in you." If he was trying to make her feel more at ease, it was working, if only a little. She knew she was headstrong and that in itself was encouraging. Still, she had her doubts.

"Is this really the only way to get to the peak? Wouldn't it be safer to just go around the forest?"

"It would, but that would take us another two or three hours. This is the quickest way." She could have argued, but given he was about as headstrong as her, she doubted it would have worked and, funny enough, she actually trusted him. _That was a first._

"Okay. It's your decision," she said.

"Don't worry," he assured. "We'll be fine. Just stay close behind me. But before we go in, there is something I must tell you." Suddenly, his voice took on a whole new level of seriousness and he stared deeply into her eyes, making her understand that what he was about to tell her was crucially important. "Do not, under _any_ circumstances, eat _anything._ Do you understand, Sarah?" He spoke to her like a parent would to a little child. Without hesitation, she nodded.

"Yes. I understand."

"If you do," he went on, "if your lips so much as graze any form of food, you will never be able to leave the forest. And we don't want that, now do we?"

"No." By now she had learned not to question the way things were in this place. But when it came to food, it seemed one would always have to be suspicious. Once he had ascertained that she understood, they could finally enter the forest.

"Stay close."

Even Desdemona and Calypso seemed hesitant to enter, no doubt sensing that this was not an ordinary forest, but moved forward nonetheless at their riders' commands. Jareth took the lead and Sarah followed close behind as requested. The path was narrow, covered with needles which had fallen from the fir-trees that made up the forest. Sarah looked up and the trees were so tall that they started to sway in front of her eyes. Beginning to feel dizzy, she looked down again, only to find that she was no longer on the path and Jareth was nowhere in sight. This was not good. Sarah pulled the reins and Calypso came to a stop, but was unable to remain still. The black mare was just as apprehensive as her rider. "Jareth?" Sarah called tentatively. When it dawned on her that he really was nowhere near her, she raised her voice to a loud cry. " _Jareth!_ " In the next moment, Calypso started whinnying and tossing her head ferociously. "What is it, Calypso?" Sarah asked and tried to calm her down, then froze in the saddle when something brushed against her cheek. It was soft and warm. Like a loving caress. But if Calypso had felt it too, she certainly didn't think the caress was soft _or_ loving at all. She became all the more wild and Sarah, completely paralyzed, failed to keep herself in the saddle when Calypso reared with another shrill whinny. She fell off and hit the ground with a thud. Her head ached, but the pain faded swiftly when she felt that caress again. Why did it feel so familiar? And yet, there was nothing there. As she moved to sit up, she thought the ground beneath her felt unusually soft. She soon realized why. There was no ground beneath her. She was sitting on a bed. _Her_ bed. Or rather, _their_ bed. She was back in her and Darren's apartment. _Wait_ , she thought, _this isn't right_. _I was just in a forest. Unless…_

"Did you have a nightmare again?" She knew that voice and she knew the hand that gently stroked her cheek. _No wonder it was so familiar._ Sarah met Darren's eyes. He was really there, in the flesh. She reached out and touched his face. Yes. It really _was_ him. Her eyes began to water.

"I missed you," she said and he gave her a quizzical look.

" _Missed_ me? I never left." He leaned in and kissed her, but the taste was strange somehow. It was… _bland_ and his lips were strangely dry. "I'll never leave," he whispered and now even his _voice_ sounded odd. Or maybe she was just imagining it? It sounded like someone else was speaking. _It almost sounded just like…_ Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted. She had noticed yet another oddity, or maybe it was just the lighting that made his hair look lighter? At least one thing was for sure; lighting did _not_ change a brown eye to the colour of blue. His left eye was just as dark as before, but the right one had completely changed and no matter how many times she blinked, it remained the same. Darren was unperturbed by the bemused and somewhat frightened expression on Sarah's face and reached for something next to the bed. A very familiar and pleasant scent filled her nostrils and, sure enough, there he was, offering her a grilled cheese sandwich on a plate. "I thought you might want something to eat," he said and Sarah was about to grab it, her belly screaming for a bite, but then she remembered a word of caution. _Do not, under_ any _circumstances, eat_ anything.

"No," she said.

"What was that?" She looked into Darren's now mismatched eyes and firmly repeated the word.

" _No!_ " She snatched the plate from his hands and smashed it against the wall. It had the same effect as thirteen years ago when she had broken free from the replica of her room in the junkyard. The wall cracked and the room began to crumble, revealing the dreadful forest. The bed which she sat on dissolved in a whirlwind of ashes. The sandwich, she noticed, had really been an apple in disguise to satisfy her cravings, but she had lost her appetite. Looking back at Darren, Sarah was horrified to see that his eyes were now glowing red. There was an angry scowl on his face. Scrambling to her feet, she backed away in fear, then covered her ears when he let out an inhuman screech. She watched as his body, just like the bed, turned into ash flakes that were carried away by a gust of wind. _And to think I let that thing kiss me._ Calypso came up behind her and Sarah didn't hesitate to mount, eager to get away. She needed to find the path again. Find _Jareth_.

Jareth kept his eyes on the path, determined not to get distracted by anything. He had no idea how many minutes had passed since they entered, but thought it was strange how Sarah had not said anything. No questions, no comments, no a single word. "Are you doing all right, Princess?" he called over his shoulder. The only answer he got was the wind whispering sinisterly and he thought he heard an evil cackle from above. The forest was taunting him. He stopped and made Desdemona turn around sharply on the spot. Sarah was no longer behind him. Of all the things that could go wrong… If she would go and get herself trapped in here, he would never forgive himself. " _Sarah!_ " he screamed and his voice echoed through the woods. " _Sarah, where are you?_ "

"I'm right here." The voice came from below and Jareth looked down. There she was, smiling up at him. It was a smile too good to be true.

"No," he said. "You're not her." And yet, he sounded unconvinced. She giggled sweetly – a sound that was like music to his ears – and flashed a smile.

"Of course it's me. Come down, I want to show you something." She placed her hand on his thigh, much higher up than would have been deemed appropriate. He drew in a breath. Her touch made him all warm inside and it was getting hard to think. So hard that his brain did not even register his movements. One moment, he was up on the horse and the next, he was down on the ground. Sarah grabbed his hand and led him away from the path. If Desdemona made any attempts to stop him, Jareth did not know.

"What is it that you want to show me?" he asked just as they stopped by a fruit tree. Without warning, she moved in closer. When she was so close that their lips almost touched, Jareth stopped breathing altogether, his heart beating faster.

"This," she whispered and kissed him tenderly. It was all he had ever wanted. To kiss her, to taste her and, ultimately, _devour_ her. This was what he had always dreamed of and yet…it was not what he had expected. Her pink lips were not as soft as they looked, nor did they taste as sweet as he had hoped. When she felt that he didn't respond, she pulled back and gave him a concerned look. "What's wrong? Isn't this what you want?" He only had one answer for that.

"Yes."

"Then kiss me," she urged him, running her hands down his chest. Surprisingly, he was unmoved by the gesture. "I know what's wrong," she said smiling coyly and reached up to grab one of the fruits hanging from the tree. A peach. "You like it sweet, don't you?" She took a bite out of the fruit and sweet juice dripped from it, running down her mouth and chin. He couldn't deny that it was tempting. How easy wouldn't it be to just lick at her lips and share the treat with her?

 _Share the treat._

The warning came as a sign as well as a signal. " _Jareth!_ " It was Sarah's voice. The _real_ Sarah's voice, echoing through the woods. He turned his head at the sound.

" _Sarah?_ " A hand came up to cup his face and return his attention to its owner.

"I'm right _here_ ," she said and a fire flared to life inside her green eyes, making them glow red. It was a wake-up call well needed. Jareth turned and ran like hell. He heard Sarah calling again and then he saw her on the path. She was up on Calypso's back and Desdemona was waiting for him to get on hers.

"Sarah," he panted when he reached her. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on. Let's get out of this blasted forest."

"I couldn't agree with you more." He got up in the saddle and this time, they were off at full speed, never straying from the path. The edge of the forest got closer and closer and Sarah was certain something would come up and block their path to keep them from leaving, but no such obstacle appeared.

At long last, they made it out of the woods and slowed to a stop. Some ways ahead of them, a great mountain rose from the ground, but it was still quite far to get there. "Is that it?" Sarah asked him and, judging by the mixed look of wonder and longing on his face, she could tell that it was.

"Yes," he confirmed. "Algernon's Peak. As you can see, we still have some way to go." He looked up to the sky and, acknowledging that the sun would set soon, decided there was no point in moving any further today. "But that will have to wait until tomorrow."

* * *

They found a spot to camp and got a fire going. The sky darkened quickly and the stars came out to keep the moon company. This night it was full and big and somehow, Sarah thought, the unusual size made it feel closer. Like she could reach out and touch it with her fingertips. The moon was not the only thing that felt closer. They were practically shoulder to shoulder where they sat by the fire. Jareth had been uncommonly quiet, but now that he was right beside her, she could hear every breath he took. He spoke her name and she couldn't keep herself from thinking that she liked it better than when he called her Precious or Princess. "Sarah?"

"Yeah?" She kept her eyes on the moon, fighting the urge to just give in and look into his eyes when he said her name like that.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but… What did you see? In the Alluring Woods." A couple of days ago, she would have told him it was none of his business. But that was then. Besides, there really wasn't anything special about what she had seen. She had nothing to hide.

"I saw Darren," she confessed with an indifferent shrug. "We were back in our apartment. But…" She dropped her gaze to the ground and thought back on what she had seen.

"But what?" Jareth inquired after a moment of silence.

"It was all so strange. I really thought I was back home and that it had all been just a dream. He seemed so real." In his mind, Jareth replayed his own vision, very much able to recognize and relate to Sarah's feelings. The woman he had seen both looked and sounded exactly like the one sitting so close to him right now. What she said next caught his attention and it was a most unexpected revelation. "But then I noticed his hair wasn't as dark as it should be and when one of his eyes started shifting in colour, I knew something was wrong." This confused him.

"One of his eyes started shifting in colour?" He couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.

"Yes. His eyes are brown, but his right was turning blue for some reason. Why do you think that is? Maybe the magic in the woods is growing weak?" It seemed like a plausible explanation, but still he wondered. Noticing that she was finally looking at him and realizing she was expecting an answer, he let the question pass.

"Perhaps."

"What did _you_ see?" Jareth tensed. He had not expected her to return the question. Especially not in such a genuinely interested way. She was smiling expectantly at him, but he didn't have the courage to tell her. Embarrassed, he looked away and that was the only answer she needed. She should have known. Looking down at the ground, she smiled faintly, but knowingly. "You saw me."

"Yes," he whispered, almost apologetically. Silence fell again, until both of them looked up, attempting to speak, but were left tongue-tied when their eyes met. _Darn_ , Sarah thought. She was trapped now, looking directly into his eyes; one clear blue, the other darkened by the permanently dilated pupil. Her lips parted. _Say something, you idiot!_ It was her common sense speaking, but her impulse was saying something else. His lips were so close. It was effortless, really. She leaned in inch by inch and he never moved away. How could he? Every limb of his body was paralyzed. Just like before, his brain shut down, heart racing inside his chest. He felt his lungs expand with the last inhale of breath he took before her lips met his. It was brief. Only a taste. But it was enough for him to know that he wanted more. He wasn't breathing. He needed her to kiss him again. To breathe life into him. As if reading his thoughts, she leaned in once more and did just that. One thing was certain: this Sarah was a _much_ better kisser than her insufficient doppelganger. And she _tasted_ better, too. Much sweeter than he had ever dreamt of. Maybe that's what this was? Just another dream. She had complained about him coming to haunt her the past week. If only she knew how many times _she_ had haunted _him_. In so many dreams he had seen her and they were all so insufferably sweet until the moment he woke up and the image of her was nothing but a torment. A constant reminder of what he couldn't have.

Suddenly, she pulled back, her green eyes wide. That was not supposed to have happened. "I'm…" She struggled to find her voice. "I'm sorry." The words came out so small, no more than a silent whisper. "I shouldn't have done that." She got up from the ground and turned her back to him. "I need a moment," was her excuse. He said nothing in return, but simply let her go. She wasn't the only one who needed a moment. Jareth struggled to comprehend what had just transpired between them. He could breathe again, but his head was all a jumble, which, inevitably, made the struggle even harder. Little did he know that Sarah was currently having the same problem.

* * *

 **A/N: Please do not hate me for this very, very late update. I know it's been, like what, a couple of months? But I have had to prioritize school work. I hope you understand. On the bright side, this is the longest chapter yet. Nearly 6000 words in fact. So I hope that makes up for the long wait, plus the fact that things are getting more interesting between J & S ;) We have a few more chapters to go and I hope you'll stick around to see the end of it. Love you all!**

 **~ Quinn**


	17. Turning Point

_You are the strength_

 _That keeps me walking_

 _You are the hope_

 _That keeps me trusting_

- _Everything_ by Lifehouse

* * *

The sun had risen behind the mountain that stood tall before them, casting the west side in shadow. A path went up the slope, spiralling around it. Sarah estimated it had to be a three hundred feet climb. Suddenly she began to feel a little queasy. "Are we really going all the way to the top?" she asked.

"Worry not. The entrance to the cave shouldn't be too far up," Jareth assured with a soothing smile and Sarah felt herself relax again. "However, we will have to walk from here. The path is not safe for the horses."

They left Desdemona and Calypso behind with their luggage, which Jareth argued would only slow them down. Should they need anything, he could easily conjure it up with his magic. He took the lead up the rocky slope and Sarah followed, always staying one step behind.

They had barley spoken to each other all morning. After last nights events, neither of them really had the courage to speak of it, or anything else, for fear of making things more awkward than they already were. But, just like before, Sarah found that the silence was far worse. As they gradually got higher, she decided to strike up a conversation. "So… why is it called Algernon's Peak?" Jareth looked over his shoulder.

"You know that legend I told you about?" he asked.

"The king who drank the water from a magic fountain?" He nodded in confirmation.

"His name was Algernon and the fountain from which he drank is inside this mountain. It was named after him." Out of curiosity, she asked:

"Do you know anyone else who's done this before?"

"No. I don't think _anyone_ does. The tale of Algernon dates back over millennia and is more renowned than any other legend in the Underground. Should anyone have accomplished such a feat, people would have known."

"After today, they will." Jareth stopped abruptly and Sarah nearly walked into him. He turned around to face her with a look of wonder.

"Do you really think so?" She smiled up at him.

"I have faith. You should, too." He tried to smile back, but was currently incapable of giving her more than a modest curve of the lip. He did not dare to be certain.

"We will soon find out, won't we?"

As they kept walking, the path seemed to grow even more narrow and unstable. "Careful now," Jareth cautioned as he noticed the cracks, "you'd better watch your step." Sarah recalled another instance when she'd had to tread carefully as not to fall down. The only difference was that _this_ time there was no stinking bog below, for which she was grateful. Still, it wouldn't be very fortunate if she stepped wrong and fell down.

"I should be an expert at watching my step after running your labyrinth. God knows what might happen if you take a wrong turn in there." She was thinking particularly about her unfortunate encounter with the Fireys. They were a bunch of wild creatures, for sure. She thought she'd never be rid of them. She wondered if Jareth knew about that. His next words led her to believe he didn't.

"I would say you managed to get through relatively unscathed."

"Key word being _relatively_ ," she enunciated. "I almost got shredded by a slashing machine which _you_ sent after me, remember?" He smiled to himself.

"Oh, I remember perfectly. I also distinctly remember that you got away without as much as a scratch. There was no real harm done." She rolled her eyes into the back of her head.

"Why am I not surprised you would say that?"

After having circled the mountain on their way upward around seven times, they made it to the entrance of the cave; a gaping hole in the wall which led into a dark tunnel. "Is this really it?" Sarah asked suspiciously. It seemed a little too easy. Jareth appeared hypnotized as he stared down the tunnel.

"Yes. I believe it is. I can feel it." She saw him clench his gloved fists and watched the colour drain from his face. "There is magic here." His voice was but a whisper, as if he were afraid to say it. Sarah grabbed one of his hands and felt a strange energy surging through it, flowing into her own. Like electricity. Was it the magic?

"Hey," she said and sought his eyes. "Are you okay?" He looked down at the hand holding his in a gentle grip. Was it her touch that made it feel so warm? The heat spread through his entire body and gave colour to his face again. So long as she was there by his side, he would be okay.

"I'm fine," he assured and Sarah gave him a small smile. She broke their connection and let go of his hand, which fell back in place by his side.

"Well then…" Sarah straightened her posture and faced the dark hole before them. "Shall we?"

Much like the path, the tunnel was quite narrow and with a low ceiling to boot. Sarah was starting to feel a little claustrophobic, but all of her fears washed away as Jareth conjured up a tiny flame in his hand and sparkling gems lit up the walls and ceiling like fireflies to lead them through the darkness. Each dazzling gem was a different colour and Sarah couldn't take her eyes off of them. It was like walking under a rainbow. "I've never seen anything so beautiful," she mused aloud. Jareth could do nothing but agree. Though he had seen his fair share of beauty – Sarah included – this was something completely without parallel.

The tunnel took them to the very heart of the mountain. They stood on a landing overlooking the circular cave and not far below was a round pool of clear water. The fountain. So it was real. Jareth's heart was pounding in his chest. He had feared it all to be nothing but a story. A myth. But here it was right before his eyes. Surely it had to be real? A few steps down the stairs and he would know. He let the flame in his hand soar up towards the ceiling to cast a light over the water. The sound of his heels clicking against the floor bounced off the stone walls and echoed softly throughout the cave. Sarah followed him down to the edge of the pool. She had expected to see her reflection in the water as she leaned over it, but there was nothing there. She stretched out her arm to see if it made any difference, to no avail. "That's strange," she mumbled. Jareth only stared into the depths of the pool, completely transfixed. Though the water was perfectly clear, there was no sign of a bottom down below. Nothing that indicated how deep it was. Perhaps it was just an optical illusion. Sarah looked to the man beside her. A king of the Underground. King of the goblins. Once, she had feared this man, so intimidating and powerful. Now she saw a completely different person. Someone who was lost. Lost and frightened. _Human_.

"Aren't you going to drink it?" she asked and her voice brought him back from his haze.

"Yes. Of course." A flick of the wrist and he was holding a small glass vial in his hand. Squatting down, he dipped the vial into the water and stood up tall again once it was filled. He drew in a breath and looked up into her eyes, hoping it would give him courage. Then again, what did he have to lose? "Here goes." Raising the vial, he brought it to his lips.

Sarah had been feeling anxious for some time now and she was almost about to stop him, afraid that the water would have a completely different effect than what the legend promised. She said nothing, but bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. The transparent liquid slid down his throat in one swallow. He waited, looking anywhere but at her. Sarah could hear the drumming of her heartbeat in her ears.

Nothing happened.

"Well?" she asked tentatively. "Do you feel any different?" He looked back into her eyes and then shook his head slowly.

"No." Her shoulders slumped in response. Surely they hadn't come all this way for nothing? Sarah refused to believe it.

"Why don't you try and use your magic? If you're mortal, then you shouldn't have magic anymore, right?" she suggested hopefully. He nodded in agreement and held out his right hand. She knew he was waiting for something to appear, or rather, hoping that it _wouldn't_. They were both let down when a perfectly round crystal ball materialized out of nowhere. So it hadn't worked. "I'm sorry," she said softly. He looked so defeated. More so than he had thirteen years ago. Without warning, he hurled the crystal into the air and tossed it as far as he could. It smashed against the cavern wall.

"I should have known," he grumbled to himself. This piqued Sarah's interest.

"Known what?" There was a pause and for a moment, she didn't believe he was going to give her an answer. He sighed in defeat.

"That I wasn't worthy." She raised a quizzical brow.

" _Worthy_? You never said anything about having to prove your worth!" she stated, her voice growing a little louder.

"That's because I didn't think it would be a problem!" he shot back. Then his expression softened and he glanced down at the floor, almost ashamed. "Or, I had _hoped_ it wouldn't be."

"So…" she shrugged, "why aren't you worthy?" He merely shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. I just have to accept that I'm never getting out of this hellhole." He strode past her without once raising his gaze. Why did he refuse to look at her?

"Hey!" she called after him and tried to keep up with his long strides. When she caught up with him, she placed a hand on his chest and forced him to stop and face her. "Hey, _look at me!_ " she demanded and her hand went to rest on his face, guiding it her way. Finally he let his pride go, yielding to her touch, and met the stare of her forest green eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I really am." She put her arms around him and rested her head upon his shoulder. Slowly, he reciprocated the gesture and his arms wrapped around her body. Being this close, feeling his warmth, was an entirely new, yet familiar sensation. One she couldn't quite describe. Not wanting it to end just yet, she held on for a little while longer. And he let her.

They made their way back out of the cave to meet the blinding rays of the sun. A stark contrast to the dark hole from whence they had come. Jareth stopped to look into the tunnel once more. He knew that nothing had been given. He would either win or lose. But he had come so far. And all for nothing.

Sarah pitied him. She tried to read his face, but it was blank; deprived of emotion. "Will you be all right?" she asked and for the first time, he did not know what to say.

"I don't know," he answered her honestly. He felt like a hollow tree. There was nothing left inside of him. His heart might as well have stopped beating right then and there. "Let's just go," he said and Sarah agreed. There was no use in lingering where there was no hope. Better to trudge on and find it elsewhere.

Going down was supposed to go faster, but somehow it felt much slower than when they went up. Perhaps it was the load of their heavy hearts that slowed them down. They had made it a little more than halfway to the bottom when Sarah heard something crack beneath her feet and in that moment, she knew exactly what kind of inevitability she was facing. Before she had time to react, the ground beneath her gave way and with a loud shriek, she fell. Jareth's heart caught in his throat. "SARAH!" he yelled as he watched her fall down the side of the mountain. He was careful not to fall himself, but went down on his knees and gripped the crumbling edge.

She didn't fall for long. In what felt like a heartbeat, she had landed on the path about ten feet below. A sharp pain shot through her left foot and that's when she knew something was either sprained or broken. She screamed again and her eyes began to well up with hot tears. She heard Jareth calling from above, telling her to hold on and within moments, he was there, kneeling by her side. She clutched her aching foot, not caring so much about the blood she could feel trickling down her right arm which she had scraped during the fall. "It hurts," she whimpered, like a little child.

"I know," he said repeatedly, trying to sooth her. "I know, but not for long. I'll just have to take off your boot before I can do anything." As he moved to relieve her of it, they heard a sound coming from the ground below, which at this point wasn't that far. Just about eight feet, in fact. There was no mistaking the source of the sound. "The horses," Jareth breathed and his heart started beating faster than it already did. "They're in trouble." Fear was in his eyes.

"Go," Sarah urged him. He didn't want to leave her, but reluctantly obeyed. This was no time to argue.

"I'll be back," he promised. "Stay here and stay out of sight." She watched him transform and the white owl flapped its wings and took off. Sarah could feel her foot swelling and had no choice but to tug her boot off, no matter how much it hurt. From below, she could hear Desdemona and Calypso whinnying again, but that was not the only sound. There was barking, too. Vicious growling.

Jareth knew way before he reached the ground what he was about to go up against. Wolves. Big, black and hungry. There were at least a dozen of them, trying to dig their claws and teeth into the two mares who were fighting with all their might against the wild beasts. But they needed help. As he swooped down to the ground, he transformed once again.

A great battle had commenced. Sarah knew it and she feared, not for herself or the horses, but for Jareth. Getting up on her feet was not an option, but that didn't stop her. On her knees, she crawled her way around the side of the mountain until she finally caught a glimpse of what was transpiring below. Her eyes grew wide with fear and she started to panic. Jareth was nowhere to be seen. But amidst a gathering of black wolves, there was a giant black bear fending them off. There were eleven, no, _fourteen_ of them, attempting to bring the horses down. But the bear was making their task difficult. Three wolves, having acknowledged his interference, moved to face him. Sarah gasped as they jumped at him, but he swiftly cut them down with a strike of his giant paw. Catching sight of another bunch targeting Desdemona, he moved to defend his prized mare before they could do her any harm. The howling creatures came at him, attacking as a group. They sank their teeth into his thick skin and scratched their claws over his face, but still he managed to take them down. He was both bigger and stronger. Some of his opponents were more persistent than others, but once he roared into the air, it was enough to make them cower. They did not dare approach him. There was one, however, who would not accept defeat so easily. From the corner of her eye, Sarah saw one of the wolves approach from behind. He was by far the biggest out of all. The leader of the pack, no doubt. And he was getting ready to attack. " _Jareth, look out!_ " she screamed so loudly that her voice cracked. The bear promptly turned around and rose to stand on his hind legs, but even if he towered over his attacker, that didn't stop the wolf, who leapt onto him and dug its claws into his shoulders. Sarah was too engaged in the fight that she didn't notice the danger she was in herself. By crying out, she had given away her position. And she was an easy target.

Four of the remaining wolves had spotted her and were now headed up the path. If she didn't do anything quickly, she would be wolf chow. She tried to stand, but the pain was too severe. Out of instinct, she grabbed some rocks lying on the path and threw them at the wolves. It was her only defence, but it seemed to only antagonize them further and she found herself thinking that this was it.

The battle with the pack leader was relatively short-lived. After knocking him down to the ground, Jareth loomed over his opponent and made sure to bare his teeth. He roared once more straight into the wolf's face and that was the end of it. A scream came from above and his blood ran cold. _Sarah_.

She grabbed every little rock or pebble she could find and threw them at the vicious beasts coming her way. They barked loudly and snapped their jaws, revealing big, sharp fangs. Though they were momentarily distracted by the rocks, they would not back down. Their claws dug into the mountain wall as they climbed upward, only getting closer, and Sarah realized she was done for. A big, black paw clawed at the edge of the landing she was on and the wolf pulled itself up seemingly effortlessly. Bright yellow eyes were staring into hers. As the wolf went in for the kill, it was all of a sudden jerked back. Sarah, who had shut her eyes waiting to be devoured, opened them again and saw Jareth, still as a bear, dragging the wolf by its tail and smashing it against the wall. The other three were already fleeing for their lives and wisely so, for in the next moment, their friend fell lifeless to the ground.

Jareth breathed hard, looking down at the creature he had just killed. The creature who almost killed Sarah. He heard her voicing his name and transformed back into his human body. He was not happy. "I told you to stay out of sight!"

"And instead I chose to save your ass," she replied without any guilt. "You're welcome." He fought the impulse to roll his eyes and focused on the task at hand. The danger wasn't over yet.

"Never mind, we need to get the hell out of here." Without asking for permission, he scooped her up into his arms and she instinctively wrapped hers around his neck. She didn't want to be a damsel in distress, but for whatever reason, she found herself accepting it. The boot was left behind.

He carried her down the path as fast as he could and when they made it down to the bottom, it seemed some of the wolves, having noticed the bear was gone, had seized the opportunity to strike again. Desdemona and Calypso each did their best to defend themselves as well as each other, but one of the sisters was apparently weaker than the other. The wolves decided to go for the weaker prey, not bothering about the stronger and exasperatingly persistent one.

Calypso fell to the ground as all of the wolves targeted her alone and begged for her sister to help her. At the sound of her master's whistle, Desdemona came running, also begging for help. Jareth gently lowered Sarah to the ground and grabbed hold of Desdemona's reins to calm her. "Easy, girl! Easy!" He looked over to where the wolves were gathering around the black mare and knew that she was beyond saving. And if they didn't leave now, they would be beyond saving, too. Even as a bear, he wouldn't be able to hold his own against them for that long, as he was already exhausted from the first round. As his eyes scanned the ground, he found their bags had been thrown off at some point and, luckily, they seemed to be intact as they were of no interest to the hungry predators. Instead of running to get them and risk catching unwanted attention, Jareth used his magic to summon their bags to him. In a matter of seconds, they were in his grasp and they were ready to go.

"Come on," he urged Sarah and helped her up onto Desdemona.

"Wait, what about Calypso?" Sarah asked as he got up in the saddle behind her. "We can't just leave her!"

"I'm afraid we have to," he said and reached around her to grab the reins. Sarah could tell it was a regretful decision on his part. The hurt in his eyes and the sorrow in his voice gave it away. "We don't stand a chance against them." Alas, it was the sad truth and Sarah knew it. She looked over her shoulder and saw the wolves pinning Calypso down. The black mare fought for her life, kicking her legs and throwing her head about, but nothing she did could break her free. Her cries for help cut through Sarah's heart like the sharp and cold blade of a knife. The mare was begging them to stay. Begging them to _save_ her. Sarah felt like someone was squeezing her heart. When the painful cries were finally cut short, Sarah looked away, her own pain long since forgotten.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey there! I'm finally back with an update and from this point, I'm happy to say that I have quite a few chapters that are nearly finished, so hopefully all they need is some polishing and then I can put them up here for you as well soon. I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been super busy. (I know, that's always my excuse, but I think you can understand a poor college student XD) Anyway, I love you all, thanks so much for reading this fic, I sincerely hope you enjoy it!**

 **Question: Why do _you_ think Jareth wasn't worthy? ;)**


	18. One Last Dance

_We're so close to reaching_

 _That famous happy ending_

 _Almost believing_

 _This one's not pretend_

 _Let's go on dreaming_

 _For we know we are so close_

 _So close and still so far_

\- _So Close_ by Jon McLaughlin

* * *

Once it was ascertained that they were not being chased by any wolves, the company slowed to a stop. Jareth could sense Desdemona's desperate will to turn around and go back, but even _she_ knew it was too late. Her sister was dead. He gave her a consoling pat on the neck. "I think we're safe now," he said and got off her back, proceeding to help the injured Sarah down.

He carried her to the nearest tree where she could sit down and rest. "Let's have a look at that foot, shall we?" At that point, Sarah had all but forgotten about her injury. Where previously she had felt pain, now she only felt numb.

"Right." She pulled her sock off, revealing what she had expected to see; a blue, swelled up ankle. Jareth, in turn, removed the gloves from his hands and held her foot in between them.

"This might sting a little," he warned. As he focused his energy, magic flowed through his hands into her broken ankle. She hissed at the intense heat of it. The magic was burning her skin, but only for a moment. When he let go of her foot, everything was fixed and back to normal.

"Thanks," she breathed out. That really felt good. Now she could put her boot back on. Too bad she didn't have it. Biting her lower lip, she sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to have to explain to your sister why one of her boots is missing…" Regretfully, she looked down at the ripped sleeve where she'd cut her arm. "… And why I've ruined her shirt." Jareth stroked his hand over the wound, healing it like he had her ankle.

"Don't worry about it. She has plenty to spare, I'm sure. Speaking of my sister, she will be expecting us to arrive in less than five hours." He thought about what options they had and came to the conclusion that it would take more than five hours to get back. _What a pity_. "Since we're not taking the shortcut this time," he went on and Sarah shuddered at the thought of going back into that accursed forest, "we will have to get moving if we want to make it back before sunset." His _initial_ plan had been to go back through the Alluring Woods, but as it appeared he had overestimated his own power of will, that plan had quickly been scrapped. Chances were if they stepped into those woods a second time around, the demonic spirit might put up one hell of a fight to get its revenge, no doubt feeling cheated by them. It was too great a risk. Therefore, he had changed the plan. They would take the South road by the sea and be back at the castle in the afternoon, as he had promised. Unfortunately, he had _not_ planned to be attacked by wolves or be robbed of one of his horses. That alone would slow them down considerably. Not to mention they were both quite exhausted from the morning's events. But rest would have to come later. Perhaps they could stop for lunch by the sea? Exhausted or not, they had to move on.

Bothered by the fact that she was only wearing one boot, Sarah got rid of that as well and resolved to go barefoot. This time, she sat behind Jareth as they rode on Desdemona's back. She took pity for the creature. She had just lost her sister and was now expected to carry the burden of that loss as well as two people on her back all the way to the Faerie Queen's castle. It just wasn't fair. "You know how I used to say everything was unfair?" she said and Jareth hearkened to her words. "I think I've finally found my basis for comparison."

* * *

Isobel paced the floor of her throne room restlessly, muttering to herself. "'You can expect our return tomorrow afternoon', he said. Well, they aren't here, are they? And the sun is already going down." The children had asked her several times that afternoon when their uncle and the lady Sarah would be returning. Unfortunately, she could give no answer.

At the sound of a bugle, she stopped pacing and only seconds later, her chamberlain entered the room, announcing her brother's arrival. She rushed outside to meet them in the courtyard. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "I was beginning to worry." Actually, she had been worried for the past two hours, but she was too relieved to scold her brother at the moment. He looked rather defeated as he dismounted. They _both_ did.

"We ran into some complications," Jareth said and Isobel recognized the sorrow in his eyes. That's when it hit her. They had left with _two_ horses. Now, there was only one.

"Wait. Where is the other?" she asked, concerned.

"They were attacked by a pack of wolves while we were heading down the mountain. We could only save one of them." That certainly explained why they had come so late.

"I'm terribly sorry," she said, then remembered the very reason they had left in the first place. "What about your quest? Was it successful?" If she was being honest, she had had her doubts, which was why she wasn't in the least surprised when Jareth shook his head, utterly crestfallen. Though it pained her to see him this way, now was not the best time to talk about it and she had a feeling he did not want to, either. Instead, she tried to lighten up the mood. "Well, at least you're back in one piece. And, thankfully, in time."

Jareth knew his sister too well not to know when he should have reason to be worried. And right now, he had _very_ good reason to be worried.

"In time for what?" he inquired with a hint of dread.

"In time for the ball I've arranged this evening to celebrate your return, you silly dog!" She chuckled and slapped him on the arm, but he was in no mood for friendly banter and, quite frankly, nor was Sarah. The last thing she needed right now was a ball and she was sure Jareth felt the same. All they wanted was to rest until morning before they'd be off again.

"Absolutely not," Jareth opposed. "That is _out_ of the question!" Isobel merely rolled her eyes, not taking it too seriously. She was used to this behaviour of his.

"Why do you always have to spoil the fun?"

"Isobel, we're exhausted. A ball is not fit." His sister did everything in her power to persuade him otherwise.

"You'll have plenty of time for a nap, if that's what you want. The ball won't start 'til after sundown." Jareth was not amused.

"That's in less than two hours."

"Well, then let's not waste any more precious time. Off you go and get ready. The High King and Queen are expected to arrive shortly." Sarah quickly realized it was a serious matter from the way Isobel was urging them to the way Jareth was evidently getting stressed out. She had never seen him this way before.

"Now why did you have to go and invite _them?_ " He was sounding like a petulant child, which Sarah _would_ have found amusing were it not for the fact that she shared his concern.

"Why _wouldn't_ I?" Isobel questioned. "Jareth, stop complaining. You know they will be _very_ disappointed if you don't come. Not to mention it would break the girls' hearts." Sarah understood she meant the twins and that Isobel was using them to convince Jareth to change his mind.

The royal siblings stared at each other for a long moment before the younger of the two finally gave in with a sigh. "Fine. Have it your way." Jareth pushed past his sister, tired of arguing. Too tired to even care. Besides, he was used to her winning, anyway. Sarah turned to follow him, but Isobel stopped her.

"Sarah dear, you might want to make yourself look a bit more…" Her eyes lingered on the tangles in her hair, the rip in her sleeve and, finally, her bare feet. "… _presentable_ ," she finished, but thankfully did not ask about the whereabouts of her boots. "The High King and Queen expect only the best." Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse…

"Of course they do," Sarah muttered.

She caught up with Jareth inside and walked with him down the halls. He seemed so far away. Unreachable. "Exactly how many kings and queens _are_ there in the Underground?" she asked him, to which he actually cracked a small smile.

"I couldn't say, Sarah."

"But the High King and Queen… they must be quite important, right?"

"Yes. They are the rulers of the entire Underground," he explained. "No one has more power than they do."

"So they're like your bosses?" He chuckled fondly, a wry smile on his lips. He was about to tell her no, but after some consideration, he changed his mind.

"In a sense," he admitted and then came to a halt. They had arrived at his chambers. She expected him to say something along the lines of "see you later" and leave her, but no. He took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for something and Sarah wondered what. "Sarah," he said, "they are my parents."

A surprised "oh" was all she got out, although the news in itself didn't really surprise her all that much. It only made sense. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have to get ready," he said, excusing himself. "And so do you. That is, if you plan on keeping me company?"

She would be terribly cruel if she said no. Sure, she was awfully tired, but so was he. It wouldn't be fair if she let him suffer all on his own. Not after everything they had been through. She grabbed hold of the hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Of course."

* * *

Jareth said he would come and fetch her in two hours. Hopefully it would be enough for her to get ready. Fortunately, Onora was in her room when she got there. "My lady," she said and curtseyed, as was expected of her. "I am delighted to see you again." Sarah smiled, albeit wearily.

"I'm happy to see you too, Onora." She went straight for the bed and fell back down on the soft mattress. Onora, taught to show concern for her mistress, carefully approached the bed.

"Was the journey tiring, my lady?"

"Yeah," Sarah sighed. "And now I have to get myself ready for that stupid ball." She groaned aloud, not caring what Onora thought of it.

"Yes, my queen informed me about it. I was told to help you get ready. I will draw you a hot bath and then we can pick out your dress." The young maid disappeared into the bathroom and got the water running. Sarah had to admit that a relaxing bath did not sound so bad right now.

* * *

Jareth had intended to get at least one hour of rest until it was time to prepare for the ball, but even _he_ should have known it was too much to hope for. He was as restless as one could get, pacing the floor back and forth and unable to sit still for longer than half a minute. What was he going to tell his parents? If he _was_ going to tell them at all. At least he knew he would have to explain Sarah's being in the Underground and, knowing his parents, he had an inkling there was no good way of delivering the news. If he was lucky, Isobel would have already informed them. Their mother might be forbearing, but their _father_ … Jareth didn't even want to think about what their father might say. He was a man of tradition and old beliefs. The complete opposite of his son. Jareth had been quite the rebel during his adolescence, defying his father more than once. And he would gladly do it again. For Sarah.

He washed up and looked himself over in the mirror. Time to decide on an attire for the evening. With a flourish of his hand, he donned his new apparel. It was of a rather traditional fashion, as was custom at a monarch's ball. It very much resembled what he had worn in the dream he had made for Sarah all those years ago. The only difference was the colour scheme. His frock coat was a dark green with gold embroidery and buttons and, instead of black, his breeches were grey, but with a silvery sheen to them. He stared at his reflection for a long while, contemplating the outfit, then realized there was no time to be indecisive. He had to go and get Sarah.

Heart in his hand, Jareth rapped on Sarah's door. It was a young blonde who opened. "Your Majesty," she greeted, bowing her head. "She's almost done, my lord."

"Thank you," he said. "I will wait." The maid left the door open as she turned to fetch Sarah. He straightened himself up upon hearing their footsteps approaching. Then came the most beautiful vision his eyes had ever beheld. Draped in a long-sleeved, deep blue velvet gown was Sarah. The bottom of the skirt, the bodice and the sleeves were adorned with gleaming white gems, making it look like she was covered in a night sky filled with stars. Her shoulders were left bare and a silver necklace hung around her neck. A matching leaf crown of silver rested on the top of her head from where raven curls fell to frame her face. She looked like a queen.

He must have been staring for quite some time, because now the two ladies were exchanging knowing looks, attempting to hold back their laughter. "Aren't you going to compliment me?" Sarah teased. He was more or less tongue tied, for that's how striking she was.

"You're beautiful." He meant it. With all his heart. Judging by the way she was smiling, he hoped she knew it.

"You're not so shabby yourself." Jareth relaxed, feeling the anxiety drain from him, and smiled back.

"Why thank you. Well then…" He held out his arm for her. "Shall we?"

It felt good knowing Jareth was by her side. Sarah had been worried about all the things that could go wrong. She was blessed to have had help from Onora. Without her, the entire look might have been one big fiasco. At least Jareth seemed to approve of it, which was really all that mattered to Sarah. Still, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to be causing a whirlwind the closer they got to the ballroom. The sound of merry laughter and chattering grew louder with each trembling step. They stopped short of the open doors leading into the ballroom. Women in beautiful gowns and men in elegant tailcoats passed by her vision. Had she not always dreamed of going to a ball like this? Then why did it feel like she should turn away and run?

Jareth looked down at her face and saw she had grown quite pale. Her eyes were wide open in terror. "Are you nervous?" he asked.

"Terrified," she admitted. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Don't worry," he reassured. "Just stick with me. Ready?" She looked into his sympathetic face and regained her courage.

"Yes." And together, they entered the ballroom.

Sarah was awed by the splendour of it all. A warm light filled the space that was packed with people, dressed from head to toe in their finery. In that moment, she was fine. But then her nerves returned as people in the crowd shifted their heads to get a glimpse of the Goblin King and his companion. Jareth carried himself just like a king and Sarah wished she could share his confidence. She hated it when people stared.

Up ahead, she could see Isobel standing on a dais at the very far end of the room, looking regal as ever in a crimson gown. All of her four children were there, too. The twins, as usual, were dressed to match; both wearing red like their mother. To their right stood an elder couple, both dressed in shimmering gold. The man was dark of hair and bearded; a few grey streaks here and there. The woman, in contrast, was blonde, wearing a circlet headpiece of gold. Sarah instantly knew who they were. They smiled upon seeing their son, but they had not expected _her_ to be there. The High King turned to Isobel, whispering something in her ear.

"They're talking about me," Sarah said, fearing the whirlwind in her stomach would cause her to throw up. Jareth didn't even try to convince her otherwise. He knew they were talking about Sarah.

He asked her to wait down at the foot of the stairs while he went up to meet his family. There she stood, rooted to the spot, awkwardly watching. The High Queen was the first to embrace her son and she reached up to kiss his cheeks. "How wonderful it is to see you again, my darling."

"Likewise, Mother." Jareth wasn't lying and if he _was_ , his mother would know. Then it was time to face his father. The man was stone-faced and held his head high, looking down at him. Only when Jareth bowed deeply did he smile, satisfied with his son.

"Stand tall, my boy," he said and Jareth obeyed, rising back to his full length. He was shorter than his father, but no less mighty in appearance. The older man placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "A king never bows."

"Others bow to him," Jareth finished. It was a lesson he'd been taught ever since he was a little princeling. Pleased with his son, the High King clapped him on the back with a hearty laugh.

"That's the spirit."

The High Queen cleared her throat to get their attention. "Jareth dear, aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" Sarah involuntarily locked eyes with the queen and, thinking it would probably be rude to look away, she offered a timid smile which seemed to be appreciated, because the queen returned the gesture. All of a sudden, Sarah felt more at ease.

Jareth walked halfway down the steps and held out his hand for her. She took it and let him help her up. "Mother, Father, this is Sarah. She's–"

"A mortal," the king interrupted and his dark eyes bore into Sarah's. Now she knew where Jareth had gotten his intense gaze from, but while Jareth's eyes were alluring, his father's were _killing_. The blood in her veins turned to ice.

"Yes," Jareth confirmed, half irritable, half uneasy. If he didn't tread carefully now, things could go to hell. "She's the girl who solved the Labyrinth."

"So I've heard," his father said and glanced at Isobel who, surprisingly enough, was looking rather guilty. "However, as impressive as that might be, I cannot give her praise until she's learned how to properly greet a king." Sarah got the hint even before Jareth silently urged her to kneel. Reluctantly, she got down on one knee and kept her eyes downcast. She felt as if her life depended on it. Things certainly were old-fashioned in this place.

After what felt like an eternity and her legs began to shake, she was finally permitted to stand again. Thankfully, Jareth was right by her side to keep her steady. The High King received a reproachful look from his wife, which he chose to ignore. "That's better," he said. Sarah felt Jareth's hand making small movements on her back, no doubt trying to provide some comfort. It helped, if only a little.

"Sarah, I'd like you to meet the High King and Queen of the Underground: King Riordan and Queen Lyanna. My parents." Sarah attempted to smile again, not knowing whether she was expected to say something or not.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarah," Lyanna said and Jareth thanked his mother with a smile. Riordan, however, remained silent, unlike the little ones.

Tilly and Rowena rushed to their uncle, clinging to one leg each and proclaiming how much they had missed him. Once they had had their fill of warm hugs, they made room for the princes and turned their attention to Sarah instead. "Your dress is beautiful!" Tilly said, touching the soft fabric.

"And your hair looks like a faerie's!" Rowena pointed out. Sarah might have blushed. They were too kind.

"Thank you," she said. "But you two certainly outshine everyone here tonight."

"I agree," Jareth said and the girls looked back to their uncle. "The two of you shine brighter than any star that has ever bejewelled the heavens." The twins giggled and Sarah could see Isobel rolling her eyes.

"Don't try to spoil them with your attempts at romantic poetry," she said, but fondly. Sarah would have claimed that they were more than just attempts. Jareth was very good with words and he was a romantic at heart.

The sound of a bugle playing a fanfare caught their attention and every head in the grand ballroom turned to the dais where a man from the royal court now stood. He cleared his throat, preparing himself to speak and Sarah listened with rapt attention. "On behalf of our dear queen, I welcome you one and all this evening. And a most _special_ welcome to the High King and Queen and our one and only Goblin King." The crowd applauded and the man cleared his throat once again. "It is time for the first dance and, as is tradition, the members of the royal family will now choose a partner."

As soon as he had delivered his speech, the crowd, or mostly the women, started gathering by the dais. Sarah could hear Jareth muttering something under his breath, but failed to make out the words. In any case, he didn't sound particularly happy. Nor did Tristan, who was trying to talk himself out of it. " _Please_ don't make me," he begged his mother. "I can stay here and look after Finn."

"Your grandparents can do that," she told him firmly. "Now, go on! It's only one dance. If you don't do this, then I will ground you for an entire week." That seemed to persuade him to go down and choose a partner. And there were plenty of young girls eager to get a dance with the Faerie Prince.

Just like his nephew, Jareth was in no mood for dancing and it didn't help when his father came up and gave him a push, urging him to follow his sister who was already in search of her own partner. "Choose wisely," Riordan said and the next thing he knew, Jareth was standing in front of a line of women, much like in the dream he had created for Sarah mere days ago. His goal _then_ had been to make her jealous and it _had_ worked, no matter how many times she denied it.

Needless to say, his intentions had changed since then.

Nevertheless, he indulged his father and walked along the row of women, taking his time to choose the right partner. Meanwhile, Sarah watched from the dais together with Riordan, Lyanna and the kids. It seemed that the High King and Queen were skipping the dance. Sarah turned her gaze downward. What was she even doing here? She was so out of place. Then suddenly, there were gasps heard throughout the crowd and Sarah looked up again to see what had caused the commotion. She just had not expected to be looking into Jareth's face.

He grabbed her by the hand, bowed and kissed it before leading her down the steps. He didn't even ask if she _wanted_ to dance. Sarah looked around at all the disapproving faces. Riordan especially, looked most unhappy. It was just like the dream all over again, except this time, it was _real_. Realizing this, Sarah started to panic and tried to talk Jareth out of it.

"Jareth, no!" she spoke in a low voice so that no one but him would hear. "I can't. I don't know how to–"

"How to dance?" He chuckled fondly. "Of course you do." They joined Isobel and Tristan in the middle of the dance floor. At least _they_ didn't seem to disapprove of them sharing a dance.

"That was in _dreams_ ," Sarah persisted. "This is reality!" Her heart skipped a beat when she felt his hand on her waist. He grabbed her left hand, guiding it to his shoulder and smiling all the while.

"I think you and I both know, Sarah, that they were so much more than just dreams."

Before she could make any further protests, the music started and Jareth pulled her in close. "Just follow my lead." He took the first step and they were off. All eyes were on them. Sarah's heart was beating loudly in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to slip away, go invisible and escape all of the embarrassment. But if she ran, she would be branded a coward. Not to mention she would probably hurt Jareth's feelings. The only escape she could find was by looking down. At least _that_ way she could see what her feet were doing, but Jareth encouraged her not to. "Don't look at your feet. They'll think you an amateur."

"Well, I _am_ , aren't I?" she shot back at him. He chuckled again.

"You're thinking too much, Precious." For a moment, he let go of her waist and moved his hand to bring her chin up. "Just look at me." He locked eyes with her and from that moment, Sarah could not look away. She became that little girl again, so mesmerized by his appearance and his movements. The only thing missing was him singing to her. She had never told him, but she loved the sound of his voice. She stopped thinking and let her feelings take control instead.

It was working.

The crowd was forgotten. It was just the two of them. They moved as one, lost in each other's eyes as the music guided them across the floor. Jareth wished this moment could last forever. He didn't want it to end. No dream could possibly be better than this. Alas, the quartet played the last note and they slowed to a stop. Her body might have been still, but Sarah's mind was spinning. Not even the sound of apathetic applause could wake either of them from their daze as they kept staring into each other's eyes. Sarah wet her lips.

"You deserve a better partner," she said, meaning it as a compliment. Jareth smiled, showing off his white teeth.

"Believe me, I could _never_ ask for a better partner." She blushed a little and looked down with a timid smile before letting him guide her back to the dais.

"You danced really well, my dear," Isobel complimented her when they rejoined with the rest of the family.

"Thanks," Sarah said. "But I don't think there's a lot of people who share that opinion." She glanced out over the crowd briefly. Isobel waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about them. They're only jealous."

Though neither of them had been too keen on getting down on the dance floor in the first place, Jareth and Tristan had no choice in the matter when Tilly and Rowena grabbed one man each, dragging them down again. "It's our turn now!" they exclaimed and there was no refusing. Isobel was also asked to dance by someone else and that left Sarah alone again with the rulers of the Underground. Well, them and little Finlay who was comfortably seated in his grandmother's lap.

Sarah watched Jareth teach his niece how to dance. Tilly (or was it Rowena?) was standing on his feet. Her lips curved in an absentminded smile. Without warning, the High King was suddenly standing next to her and joined in to watch the scene. "He's a terrific dancer, don't you think?" he asked her in a conversational tone.

"Yes," she agreed, knowing full well it was the answer the king expected to hear. There was not a single person whom you could ask that question and receive a no in return. Jareth was born to dance. Sarah fought to keep herself still as Riordan leaned in a little closer. He kept his voice low as he spoke.

"As his father, I have to make sure he only gets the very best, so you will have to pardon me when I ask exactly what your intentions with my son are."

She should have known it would come down to this, even if the king's suspicions couldn't have been more wrong. When all of this was over, Sarah would be back home with Darren; in the _real_ world. That was where she belonged.

Afraid to meet those intense eyes again, Sarah kept looking out over the crowd when she gave her answer. "I can assure Your Majesty that I have no intentions of getting romantically involved with your son." The words had not sounded so bad in her head, but as she spoke them, the way they fell from her lips just felt… wrong.

"Good," Riordan said and finally gave her some space back. She turned her head slowly and looked up into his face. The pleased sound in his voice had fooled her into thinking he just might be smiling or at the very least be looking smug.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Cold eyes bore into hers and his voice reached a new level of danger. "And I intend it to _stay_ _that way_." Her eyes were wide with dread and shock. Had he just _threatened her?_

Riordan looked back to where his son was. When he caught Jareth's eye, he waved him over. The smile Sarah had seen on Jareth's face vanished in an instant. He stopped to pick up the little girl into his arms and carried her with him to the dais. "You wish to speak with me, Father?"

"Yes. Come with me, son. There are a couple of people I'd like you to meet." Jareth nodded.

"If the lady doesn't mind," he spoke to the girl in his arms, "we shall continue our dance later." She looked rather doleful as he put her down and Sarah could tell Jareth didn't like it. "Tilly, do me a favour and keep Sarah company, will you?" That seemed to raise her spirits.

"Okay, uncle Jareth."

"There's a good girl." He kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back."

As he and Riordan left, Tristan and Rowena returned from the dance floor. The prince sensed that there was something wrong. "What's going on?" he asked Sarah.

"The High King wanted to speak with Jar…" She stopped midsentence. "…your uncle. That's all." Sarah looked out over the room. There were so many people and it was rather stuffy. "Do you mind if I leave you here?" she asked Tristan. "I need some air." Tilly tugged at her dress.

"Uncle told me to keep you company."

"I know and I appreciate it," she told the girl. "But I just need some air. I'll come back soon." She bowed her head to the queen on her way down and pushed through the throng, desperate to get out.

* * *

The last thing Jareth wanted was to socialize and mingle with strangers and old friends alike. Especially since Sarah was deliberately being left out. Jareth could see through his father's scheme. If the High King had had it _his_ way, his son would have been married years ago and to someone, well… _less_ _Sarah_. According to him, his son deserved only the best and tonight, he was eager to present Jareth to every eligible maiden in the room. Some of them were still quite young, being in the company of their guardians. With a forced smile, Jareth had to bow in front of them all and act as the polite gentleman he was. If only to please his dear old man. He did not wish to anger him any further. "What about her?" his father asked after each meeting, claiming the woman in question was "simply lovely" or "would make a suitable wife." Jareth had no doubt that many of them _would_ indeed make suitable wives. Just not for him. None of them would be good enough. None of them were Sarah.

After what felt like an eternity, they made it back to the dais. Jareth wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the evening by Sarah's side. To his dismay, she wasn't there. He approached his nephew, as Isobel was still mingling with the crowd. "Tristan, where is Sarah?"

"She said she needed some air, but I don't know where she went."

"Right. I had better find her." Tristan grabbed his arm.

"Uncle?"

"Yes?" Jareth could see, looking into Tristan's eyes, that the boy knew what was going on. He was a smart lad. Bright and kind-hearted.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I wish you to be happy." Jareth smiled sadly, knowing that his happiness was never meant to be.

* * *

He found her out on the grand balcony, leaning on the railing. The night air was cold, almost bitter. But it did not seem to bother her. He didn't make his presence known until he sidled up next to her. "So this is where you are." She acknowledged him with a brief glance and he wished she wouldn't have. There was a deep sadness in her eyes. She had been crying. "What's the matter?" He supposed it was a stupid question, really. He knew perfectly well what the matter was.

"What's _the matter?_ " she repeated as if it couldn't be more obvious. "I've just been… humiliated and ridiculed… met with contempt and disapproving looks. And you ask me what _the matter is?_ "

"Sarah, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I never wanted you to be treated like that. My father is proud and… hard to impress." The gods only knew how many times he had tried. To no avail. "My father…" He shook his head and his laugh was as bitter as the night air. "You know, no matter what I did, I never seemed to be able to please him. I suppose I've always been a bit of a disappointment to my parents." Somehow, Sarah found it hard to believe that. "Before I was crowned Goblin King, Isobel was already married and had had Tristan. As usual, she was the favoured child and I became the prodigal son. I was so fed up with everything that, in a way, I was _glad_ to leave them behind when I became king. And then the Labyrinth made sure I would never be bothered by any of them, save for my parents. They can come and go as they please," he explained. "But I think I was clear when I said I didn't want any visitors. We had a bit of a falling-out and they left me alone. Just like I wanted." In hindsight, it might not have been the best decision of his life. But he still did not regret it.

Sarah could relate to him. Could relate to the feeling of being a disappointment, wanting the rest of the world to just go away. "You were right," she said. "You _are_ full of surprises." Suddenly, a spark came to life inside of him. A spark of _hope_. Maybe he could still be happy? He was willing to give it a chance.

"Sarah…" He placed his hand on top of hers where it rested on the railing, willing her to look into his eyes. "Last night when you kissed me, I felt something I have never felt before. Not once in my long years of living have I ever even had a _taste_ of such perfect bliss." Sarah withdrew her hand, taking a step back.

"It was just a kiss," she said. "A kiss I shouldn't have given you to begin with."

"No, it wasn't just a kiss. It was _more_ than that," he persisted, refusing to believe that she had not felt the very same thing as he. She was simply in denial; afraid of her feelings. But she didn't have to be. "Just now when we danced, there was only you and me. Just the two of us. And it was _perfect_."

What did he want her to say? That she was feeling the exact same thing? The last thing she wanted was to pour more salt into his open wounds. But right now, that was her only option. This was not going to be easy. "Jareth," she began, "I know that things did not turn out the way you wanted them to, but you cannot expect me to stay here. You're asking me to give my life up; my job, my _family_." She thought of all her students. She thought of her father, of Toby and even of Karen. They all meant too much to her. "Jareth, I don't belong here. You _know_ this." If anything, his father had made that perfectly clear. "I can't stay. I _can't_."

 _Don't you understand that I can't?_

Those distant words echoed in both of their minds. Only this time, they were filled with pain and regret. She felt the tears coming back and that was her cue to leave. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sarah," Jareth tried as she turned away. "Sarah, _please._ " But it was no use. She ran, taking all of his dreams with her in the process. She almost ran into Isobel, who had been looking for her brother for the past ten minutes.

"Someone's in a hurry," she noted as she walked out onto the balcony. Her heart dropped at the sight of Jareth's face. "Uh-oh. That look does not bode well. What happened?"

Though he appreciated her concern, Jareth just couldn't handle it right now. "Not now, Isobel." He tried to walk past her, but she got in his way, placing a firm hand to his chest.

"Yes, _now_ ," she insisted. He would not get away so easily this time. "I haven't had the chance to be your big sister for several years, but now you will let me fulfil that duty whether you like it or not. Don't tell me you asked her to stay?" He said nothing and the silence was an answer in itself. "You asked her to stay. Oh, Jareth, when will you ever learn?" She was sounding rather condescending. She was her father's daughter, after all.

"Isobel, I have to listen to my heart."

"Always the idealist."

"But what else can I do?" he countered sharply.

"You can find what your heart is looking for elsewhere. We come from the same womb, do we not? Sure, I knew that my brother could never be as attractive as me, but if you called yourself undesirable, you would be lying. There are plenty of women who would _kill_ to call you their own. Surely _one_ of them has to be able to change your mind? Why waste that chance? Why do you keep trying to win her affection when she clearly doesn't love you? Don't you think it's time to accept that and give it up already?" He was going to have to give up this fantasy of his and start thinking about what was real. "I'm not saying it to be mean, but you have a legacy to think about. You need to find a queen and it pains me to tell you, but… it cannot ever be her." Isobel had to admit that Sarah was an exceptional woman and she could tell that her brother was deeply in love with her. Alas, loving someone was never easy. Especially when you had to let them down. "Jareth," she said and met his eyes. "If you truly love her… then you'll let her go."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm back with a new chapter! I really hope you like this one, because I do. Although it's quite sad. Hoping to work on the next chapter ASAP.**


	19. The Calm Before the Storm

_To get a dream of a life again_

 _A little vision of the start and the end_

 _But all the choirs in my head sang no_

 _\- Breath Of Life_ by Florence + The Machine

* * *

When she woke, Sarah found herself sprawled on the bed in a most uncomfortable angle. Her eyes were dry and burning after having spilled so many tears. It hurt to open them. It hurt to face the reality of a world which used to be so beautiful, but which now had been torn apart. Just like her own heart.

The last thing she wanted was to hurt Jareth again. And yet, that's exactly what she had done. No matter how big of a jerk he had been before, she had started to see that there was more to him. And also that maybe, _just maybe_ , she happened to like him. At first, she'd thought it was nothing but a superficial attraction. Totally innocent. But then she had kissed him. And last night when they danced… He was right. It _had_ been perfect. Like a real-life fairy tale.

But it wasn't meant to be.

* * *

There were three light raps at the door, no doubt meant to wake him. As it happened though, Jareth was already awake. For nearly an hour, he had been sitting by an open window, watching the sunrise, thinking back on the past few days. To think that so much could happen in such a short amount of time. His hopes had been built up and promptly crushed more times than he could count. And yet, he did not regret embarking on this adventure, unsuccessful though it had been. He held on to all of the brief, happy moments he had experienced together with Sarah. Only yesterday, on their way back to his sister's castle, there had been such a moment. Sitting behind him, hands wrapped around his torso, Sarah had fallen asleep with her head resting against the back of his shoulder. He would never forget how content he had felt in that moment. How her deep and steady breaths had brought him peace, albeit temporarily.

The voice of his sister came from the other side of the door, asking him if he was awake. Lost deep in thought, Jareth did not answer. She asked again, louder this time and when he still made no reply, her patience gone, Isobel burst through the door and rushed into the room.

At the sight of her brother looking out the window, she cursed under her breath. "If you were awake, you could have bloody answered me! Have you no sympathy for my poor nerves?" Finally, he tore his eyes from the view to meet his sister's livid gaze… and smiled.

"You know I don't," he replied as he got to his feet. Had he not been her brother, he would have found her glare intimidating. "Now, what is it that's so urgent that you need to storm into my room?" Grudgingly, Isobel dropped her glare and sighed. She did not want to deliver the news any more than she knew Jareth wanted to hear it.

"Father wants to speak with you."

There was a pause between them and, as Isobel had expected, her brother was not happy. "Of course he does," Jareth mumbled, thinking that he'd rather suffer an entire day in the Bog of Eternal Stench than having to endure an audience with his father. Alas, this was not something he could run from and he knew it. "Where shall I meet him?"

"He's waiting for you in the grand study. I believe Mother is there, too."

"Very well. Tell them I'll be there shortly." He expected her to leave, but she didn't. Isobel remained right where she stood, watching him with a solemn expression on her face. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he inquired, pronouncing the words with suppressed irritation. Isobel remained calm.

"I am wondering how you are."

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. Since when did she ever care about how he was? "Why should you care?" he said, acting as if it wasn't that big of a deal. A sad smile crossed her features and, for a moment, Jareth wondered if he had hurt her feelings.

"I realized I never asked."

He looked into her eyes, stunned by her words. When he said nothing, she continued. "Jareth, you're my brother. _Of course I care._ I've just come to realize that I haven't exactly been the sister you deserve and…" Isobel hesitated, but it was time to come clean. For years, she had told herself that it wasn't her fault and yet a part of her had always been swimming in the depths of guilt. "I can't help but feel responsible for the decision you made," she finally said. "If only I had been there for you, then maybe you wouldn't have shut us out. I've missed you, Jareth."

Jareth wasn't sure what to think. This was so unlike her. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Isobel rolled her eyes, like he knew she would.

"Very funny." They shared a laugh. Something they hadn't done since they were young; when it was just the two of them and they could share all kinds of things with each other. As it appeared they were having a moment of confession, Jareth figured he might as well be honest with her.

"I've always been jealous of you." His statement elicited a puzzled look from his sister.

"Jealous? What on Earth for?" It amazed him how she could not know.

"Let's see…" he said and started counting on his fingers, "our parents always favoured you, you found love and married at a young age _and_ you have four wonderful children. Shall I go on?" Isobel shook her head.

"There's no need. You've made yourself perfectly clear." If only she had known. All she wanted was for her brother to experience the same happiness that _she_ had. He deserved as much.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. "I'm sorry, brother. I know how much it means to you." Did she? Did she really? He seriously doubted it. She had no idea about the way he felt. The way he had been feeling his entire life. Then again, he had never told her.

"You have everything," he whispered, his lips barely moving. "I have nothing." The hand on his shoulder became more firm.

"That's _not_ true. You have _us_. The children love you, you _know_ that." Isobel loosened her grip and let her hand slide down his arm. Feeling that she was close to weeping, she took a deep breath and ignored the impulse to look away from him. Her dignity did not matter now. She did not care whether he saw her crying. What mattered was to let him know that her next words were sincere.

" _I_ love you."

The Fae were not known for exposing their inner feelings. They kept them hidden. They were supposed to be thick-skinned. To them, emotion equalled weakness. Those were the values of Jareth's kin. Inevitably, both he and his sister had internalized those values, but Isobel had always believed in them more than Jareth ever had. Like she said, he was an idealist. That was why he was so genuinely surprised to hear her confess something so personal. Especially since she had never _ever_ in her life said those words to him before. But that was exactly how he knew she meant them.

An eternity passed and Isobel could no longer keep her tears at bay. She quickly wiped them from her eyes and tried to laugh it off. "Now look what you made me do. Will you please say something? So I know I haven't made a fool of myself." He shook his head ruefully, then took her completely by surprise and enveloped her in a loving embrace. The kind that a brother _would_ share with his sister in an intimate moment.

"I love you, too," he said and lightly kissed her cheek.

"Good to know the feeling's mutual." Isobel took a step back and smoothed out her dress. "I think our parents have waited long enough. I'll go ahead and let them know you're coming." She turned to leave, but there was still one thing Jareth had not told her and there was no better time than now. It had been buried within him for so long.

"Isobel?" She paused, her hand on the doorframe.

"Yes?"

"About Brendan… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't come." Isobel still mourned the death of her husband, but she certainly did not hold her brother responsible for it.

"You had your own kingdom to run. We did not expect you to abandon your post and risk losing its king. Especially after what happened between us. I don't blame you Jareth, if that's what you think. If anything, I blame myself. But that's all history now. It's time we put the past behind us." He felt such relief upon hearing her words.

"Agreed."

Before heading to the grand study, Jareth quickly washed himself and got dressed. He looked down at the piece of leather armour covering his chest. The last time he had worn it was right before that final showdown thirteen years ago. Putting it on again brought back so many memories. It was as if all the feelings he had had at that moment in time had been stored inside the armour and he was now forced to relive them. Each heartbeat was the same as then. Loud and painful. It was actually quite fitting that he should be wearing this right now. Just like last time, he knew that it wouldn't be long before he would have to say goodbye to Sarah. This time, for good.

* * *

When Sarah came down to breakfast, she expected to find Jareth there, but the only ones she met with were Merryweather and the kids. Of course, she was only happy to join them and gladly listened to what Tilly and Rowena were conversing about, but couldn't help but grow a bit worried when she heard that no one had seen as much as a glimpse of His Royal Highness during the morning. Where could he be? Weren't they supposed to be on their way back to the Goblin Kingdom by now? With that in mind, she came to think of one person in particular who was just _dying_ to see her leave.

Once breakfast was finished and with nothing else to do, Sarah agreed to come with Merryweather and the kids to play. At first, they had planned on going outside, but it had started raining, so they decided to stay indoors. The twins were proud to show Sarah their collection of plush dolls, but upon asking her to play with them, she politely declined. Instead, she sat down with Finlay and read him stories. The young prince had been shy at first, but after a few minutes of listening to Sarah's voice, he had asked to sit in her lap. Not only did it make Sarah happy that he seemed to like her, but it also gave him a better view of the pictures. The illustrations were beautiful and there was at least one on each spread. Tristan sat with them as well, listening to Sarah reading and Merryweather was overjoyed at the thought of not having to run after any of the little troublemakers. Despite having a rather good time, Sarah couldn't help but think about Jareth, who was currently not enjoying himself half as much as she was.

* * *

Jareth stood facing the heat of his father's scrutinizing gaze. The presence of his mother and sister did nothing to soothe his nerves. The High King spoke with a slow and level voice. "As much as it pleases me to see you again, my son, I am sure you understand that your bringing this mortal woman to this land cannot be overlooked. I would very much like to know what she is doing in the Underground and I want you to be honest with me."

 _Or else._

The words were unspoken, but they were there nonetheless. Jareth jutted his chin out slightly in order to appear confident. His hands were clasped behind his back. "She came here to aid me in a quest," he answered truthfully. His father's eyes narrowed.

"Do you think me daft, boy?" he said, not believing him. "Do you think I did not see the way you were looking at her last night at the ball? The way you _danced_ with her? Sure, she is attractive, I'll give you that, but so are many other women. Women of pure – of _our_ – blood! If all you wanted was to have it off with someone, why not pick one of _them?_ " Jareth stared defiantly into his father's eyes, feeling offended. How could he think so little of him?

"You want the truth?" he asked, almost daring him. "The truth is I brought her here because I intended to make her my wife. Because I _love_ her." Riordan cringed at the word and, as it clearly made him uncomfortable, he changed the subject.

"And what is this _quest_ you speak of?" he demanded. Jareth had feared this most of all. He took a moment to gather himself, breathing in slowly.

"I went to seek out the fountain at Algernon's Peak."

For the first time, he heard his mother speak. Lyanna gasped in disbelief. "You did _what?_ " She looked to Isobel and found that her daughter was not surprised in the least. "Isobel, did you know about this?" Riordan shot his daughter a reproachful look before turning back to Jareth.

"You went there so you could make yourself a mortal?" he questioned, knowing there could only be one answer. "Make yourself _less_ than what you are?"

"But it did not work?" Lyanna inquired. Jareth shook his head.

"No." Upon hearing this, the High Queen let out a sigh of relief, but her husband was still visibly angry.

"And you did it all for her? For that… that _filthy mortal?_ " There seemed to be no limit as to how many times his father could declare his obvious disgust towards mortals. Jareth made an attempt at a daring comeback.

"She would no longer be mortal if she married me."

"That may be true, but we all know that that's not going to happen now, is it?" his father shot right back. "What you did was irresponsible! Who did you think was going to take over your throne, hmm? You hadn't thought about _that_ , had you? No, you just did what you've always done; lose yourself in dreams and ignore your responsibilities. Perhaps henceforth you will have learned to leave all of that behind. Don't you think the fact that it did not work means that _this_ is where you should be? _This_ is your rightful place!" His voice rose above its normal level, making his statement final.

"Yes," Jareth agreed. "I'm forever stuck here and will never find happiness. Now, does that _please_ Your Royal Highness?" If he couldn't get what he wanted, then at least he would have the last word.

Jareth turned to leave, but instead of heading for the door, he stalked over to a window, neglecting his mother's pleas for him to stay and his father's warnings telling him not to turn his back. Isobel was the only one sensible enough to remain silent and simply let him go. As he reached the window, a blast of magic from his hand forced it to open and Jareth transformed, flapping his white wings. The sound of his father's enraged bellow quickly faded in the wind, which was coming in strong from the north. In the distance, another bellow was heard; this time a force of nature. Rain fell from the stormy clouds above. Still, anything was better than listening to his father's admonitions. All Jareth wanted was to escape. Leave everything behind. The pain, the responsibilities and the expectations. How easy life would have been, he mused, if he'd simply been born an owl. Always flying. Always free. So why then, as he soared through the sky, did he feel so trapped? His heart was heavy, weighing him down and a flash of lightning illuminated the dark canopy, followed by the booming sound of thunder. Against his own will, he turned back around. The rain was making it hard to keep himself in the air, but he made it to the window sill at the very top of the highest tower. There, he shook his feathers dry and resolved to watch the storm. It would be a while still before he and Sarah could return home.

* * *

The door to the nursery opened and Isobel came into the room. "There you are," she said, referring to Sarah. Both she and Finlay looked up from the book, as did the others.

"Hi," Sarah said. "Do you know where Jareth is?" Isobel had that look in her eyes when she tried to hide her concern.

"That's why I came to find you." Sarah felt a knot in her stomach. She sounded so grave. Surely nothing had happened?

"Oh," was all she got out, not quite knowing what to say. Upon hearing Isobel's next words, the knot in her stomach only grew bigger.

"I'm afraid your homeward journey is going to have to be delayed."

"Why?" Sarah asked, voice trembling slightly. The girls had stopped playing and everyone in the room waited for Isobel to get to the point.

"He had an argument with our father, which ended rather badly and he simply flew off."

The knot started to untie itself. So it hadn't been anything worse than that. Then she heard a rumbling noise outside the window and the rain started to patter harder against the pane. Finlay leaned his back closer against Sarah and pulled his knees up.

"And he's out there now?" Sarah asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes and I have no idea where he's gone." Lightning struck and a deafening roar reached through the castle walls. Finlay gasped, closed his eyes hard and clung to Sarah. Isobel reached down and picked her son up into her arms.

"It's all right," she soothed and sat down on a chair, placing him on her lap. "There's nothing to be afraid of. The storm will pass."

Sarah left the book on the floor and walked up to the window. It was nearly impossible to see a thing. All she could see was darkness. Not a single owl in sight. In a way, that might have been for the best. That meant he probably wasn't foolish enough to be flying in this weather. He had probably found shelter somewhere, waiting for the skies to clear. Then why did she worry so for him?

She turned on her heel, heading for the door. Isobel called after her. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find him."

"Sarah, you don't know where he is. He could be anywhere. And it's unwise to go out in this weather. Trust me, my brother knows how to take care of himself. It's going to take a lot more than a thunder storm to break him. When it's over, you'll see that he'll be back in no time. It's unlikely he would forget about you, if that's what you're worried about."

No. If there was one thing she _wasn't_ worried about, it was that. She knew he would never forget about her. And that was his torturous fate. With that in mind, she forced herself to stay. He would come back. He _had_ to.

* * *

 **A/N: Dun, dun, dun! No, not really. Jareth is fine (but Sarah doesn't know that). This chapter was initially a lot longer and even had a subplot in which Jareth took shelter from the storm at an old lady and her granddaughter's house. But I scrapped that idea, because I felt like it didn't really serve any purpose. Just thought it might be fun for you guys to know how things could have turned out. It's not the first idea that I've scrapped in this story and it might not be the last either. We still have a few more chapters to go. Maybe three or four. Thank you guys for sticking with this story and for your kind reviews! I know you all want there to be a happy ending and, though I can't spoil anything, I just have to say that so do I.**


	20. Second Chances

_Listen to your heart_

 _When he's calling for you_

 _Listen to your heart_

 _There's nothing else you can do_

 _I don't know where you're going_

 _And I don't know why_

 _But listen to your heart_

 _Before you tell him goodbye_

 _\- Listen To Your Heart_ by Roxette

* * *

Back in his human form, Jareth wandered the castle halls in search of Sarah. She must have been wondering where he was and, considering last night's events, she was probably yearning to leave this place behind. Too long had she stayed in the Underground. It was wrong of him to keep her any longer.

He had no clue where she could be, but fortunately, he bumped into someone who might. Dressed in servant clothes, she could easily have passed for anyone, but he recognized the face of the maid from the previous night. "Excuse me, miss," he said, stopping her. She was carrying a laundry basket and settled it on her hip.

"Your Majesty," she greeted him with a bow of her head. "How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Lady Sarah. Do you know where she is?"

"I believe she went to spend time with the young ones after breakfast. Perhaps you will find them in the nursery?" Onora suggested.

"Perhaps I will. Thank you," Jareth said and resumed pacing down the hall with determined steps.

Sure enough, as he got closer to the nursery, in which he had spent many hours of his childhood, he began to hear voices coming from within. The door was open and he slowed his pace as he approached it. He caught the sound of Tristan's voice. "Let me go look for him, Mother. I can do it."

"You will do no such thing," he heard Isobel firmly declare. "I'm telling you that your uncle can look after himself." That was his cue to enter.

"Your mother is right, you know," he said and everyone sharply turned their heads at the sound of his voice. Tilly and Rowena scrambled to their feet.

"Uncle Jareth!" they exclaimed, rushing to his side. "We were worried about you."

"We all were," Tristan confessed and Jareth gave him an appreciative nod. Lastly, little Finlay climbed down from his mother's lap and joined his sisters at their uncle's side, clinging onto his left leg. Jareth chuckled fondly at the boy.

"My, my," he said. "I had no idea so many people cared about me." Though it was meant to be humorous, there was also a sad truth to his remark.

Sarah had yet to say something and her silence drew everyone's attention to her. "Hi," she finally said.

"Hi," he replied back and they continued to stare at each other until Isobel decided to break the awkward silence.

"Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say that it's good to have you back, even though you were only gone for half an hour. I'm sure Mother and Father will share the same sentiment." Jareth cleared his throat.

"Yes, well… I appreciate your concern. But now I think it's high time for me and Sarah to return to my kingdom. If it weren't for the bad weather, we should have already left by now."

"Do you really have to go?" Rowena asked and looked up at him with sad, round eyes. Tilly and Finlay did the same. They weren't exactly making this easier on him.

"I'm afraid so. The goblins have been without their king long enough and I need to get Sarah home to her own place Aboveground. But we will see each other again," he reassured. "And we're not leaving just yet. We need to prepare for the journey ahead of us." He motioned for Sarah to come with him and she promptly followed him out the room.

"Are you all right?" was the very first thing she asked.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you," he said. "I just felt like stretching my wings for a bit." She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"In a thunderstorm?"

"Well, I didn't _know_ there was going to be thunderstorm when I left, now did I?" Sarah couldn't help but smile at that.

"That's okay. I was actually thinking more about you and your father's argument. Isobel told me," she added when he gave her a questioning look. "I'm sorry you're not getting along." Jareth wondered how much Isobel had told her about the quarrel, but figured she must have left out the details. Otherwise, he doubted Sarah would be acting so calm about it. The quarrel had mostly been about her, after all. Jareth shook his head dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. It's not the first time. Either way, I suspect you want to leave now?"

"Very much," she admitted. It wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed her stay. It would be difficult to say goodbye to the kids. But, like she had told Jareth last night, she just didn't fit in here. And she was beginning to feel homesick. Jareth understood her perfectly. He told her to go get her things and meet him at the stables.

The royal family was there to see them off and warm hugs were given all around. Sarah did her best to keep the tears at bay. Though her time with Isobel and the children had been brief, she knew she was going to miss them all the same. Jareth helped her up onto Desdemona's back and was about to follow her when his parents arrived. They seemed somewhat hesitant, like they didn't know what to do or say. He waited patiently and, finally, his mother spoke.

"Jareth, your father and I have talked and, well, we thought that you and Sarah have travelled far enough by now. So, to make up for everything, we offer to create a portal to take you back to your kingdom." Whatever he had expected to hear, it certainly wasn't that. But he was very grateful, considering the journey would take longer than before with only one horse.

"I would appreciate it." He watched his father lean down to whisper something in his mother's ear.

"And we would also like to offer Sarah a safe trip back to her land," she added. Jareth might have appreciated that too, if it weren't for the fact that he knew it was not out of kindness, but simply his father's desire to be rid of Sarah as soon as possible.

"That's very considerate of you. However, I think Sarah would like to bid her friends farewell before she leaves." He looked up at her and she nodded in agreement.

"Yes. I would like to say goodbye. But thank you for the offer." Lyanna smiled warmly.

"We understand."

"Well then, if that's all," Jareth said, "we should like to be on our way." Before his parents could protest, he swung himself up behind Sarah. The High King and Queen resolved to let their son go and combined their magic to create a glowing vortex out of thin air. With one last glance at the people on the ground, they departed through the portal.

Sarah shut her eyes tightly at the blinding light and she could feel the magic surrounding the both of them as they passed through space and time. Once the air was clean again, she opened her eyes, one at a time and found herself looking at the gates to the Goblin City. "I thought you said you couldn't use magic to transport between realms?" she said.

" _I_ can't, because my magic isn't as powerful. My parents on the other hand…"

"Right," Sarah said as she remembered. "No one has more power than the High King and Queen."

With a gesture of his hand, Jareth made the gates open and they moved on through the city towards the towering castle ahead. Sarah felt him sigh behind her. "I never thought I would say this, but… It's good to be back."

As they got closer, three familiar figures came into view and Sarah leaned to the side to get a better look at them. Ludo and Hoggle were sitting at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the castle doors, seemingly half asleep, and Didymus was pacing back and forth like the guard he was. There was no way _he_ would be sleeping on the job. His ears perked up upon hearing a horse's hooves and immediately stopped pacing. As his small head turned to the source of the sound, his mouth fell open and he literally jumped into the air.

" _My lady!_ " he exclaimed so loudly that Hoggle and Ludo almost fell over.

"Are you _trying_ to make us deaf?!" Hoggle asked accusingly, his brows low on his forehead. At the sound of Sarah's laughter, however, his expression softened and they all went to receive their friend and their king. Jareth pulled Desdemona to a stop and Sarah jumped down, running straight to her friends.

"Sarah back!" Ludo said, holding her tight in his big, fuzzy arms.

"Yes, I'm back. _We're_ back," she corrected when Jareth came to join the group.

"And did you find what you were looking for?" Didymus inquired, looking between Sarah and Jareth.

"Well," Sarah began, "we _did_ find it, but… unfortunately it didn't work."

"Oh." Didymus dropped his ears and frowned. "I'm very sorry, my lady." He turned to address Jareth with a bow. "And my king." Jareth dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"No need for pity," he said. "Although I do appreciate your concern," he added, no hint of sarcasm or insincerity whatsoever. Sarah was sure, judging by the look on their faces, that her friends were just as shocked over this new Jareth as she was, if not more.

"You're welcome, Your Highness." Didymus bowed once again, ever the courteous one.

"Well then, I shall leave you alone with the lady," Jareth excused himself as he took hold of the reins on Desdemona and led her back to the stables. Once he was out of earshot, Hoggle figured it was safe to speak.

"What got into _him?_ " He turned to Sarah for answers, but would be disappointed to find she couldn't provide him with any.

"I wish I could tell you." Ludo approached tentatively, looking rather sheepish.

"Sarah go home?" he asked and she felt her heart break. She would have to go home eventually. But one more night couldn't do any harm, right?

"We don't have to say goodbye just yet," she said and it warmed her heart to see the smiles on their faces. "I'll ask Jareth if he'll let me stay one more night."

He found it hard to believe when she asked him. Hard to believe that she thought she _needed_ to ask or that she asked _at all_. The answer was a given. She could stay for as long as she liked. And when she felt like leaving, he would not stop her. He would keep his end of the bargain they had made. He would let her go and never seek her out again.

The goblins insisted upon having a feast that night to celebrate their king's return. They would never miss the opportunity to have some fun. Ludo, Hoggle and Didymus were also invited. Foods and drinks were served in the throne room, which turned into a chamber of merriment and festivities. A group of goblins played a few instruments, mostly flutes, and Sarah laughed at how Jareth cringed whenever one of them played out of tune. The loud noise in the room soon faded when one of the goblins asked Jareth to tell them about his adventure. Everyone else concurred, thinking it was a great idea and gathered around the throne. Jareth declared that he possibly couldn't do it without Sarah and so the both of them ended up recounting their journey to their enraptured audience. How much fun they had had at the Dwarf tavern, how they had almost become trapped in a forest and barely escaped a bunch of hungry wolves. It all made for a very thrilling story. One that Sarah hoped to tell Toby one day. She would love for him to return to the Underground and see all the wonder and beauty that he missed out on as a baby. Perhaps one day she would bring him here. If there ever was a way to return.

By the end of the night, the circular pit in the throne room had turned into a cradle full of sleeping and snoring goblins. Sarah bid her friends goodnight and went to her room, feeling happy and warm. Tomorrow, she would finally return home. _Home_. As she thought about it, she wasn't quite sure where that was anymore. Sure, she knew where she lived and with whom. But was that really all that home was about?

* * *

Jareth sat by his desk, writing on a piece of paper. A single candle provided him with light. He wanted to leave a message for Sarah. Something she could keep to remember him by.

 _My dearest Sarah,_

 _Thank you for honouring me with your company. I must let you know that despite our failed quest, I enjoyed our time together and that, once we part, I wish you happiness for all of the years to come and that no matter what, you will always be my queen._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Jareth_

As he read the words, he realized how stupid his idea was. He was only making it harder on her. Just say goodbye and be done with it. If only it were that easy.

He left the note on the desk and reached for his violin. Music was his one true friend. It helped him relax and forget all his woes. If he were lucky, he would drown in the music and never wake up again.

* * *

Sarah lay awake in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the empty spot next to her. Her arm stretched out across the mattress and she clutched the sheets in her hand. The warmth she had felt only moments before was all but gone. Instead, she shivered at the thought of being all alone like this. She craved for companionship. Craved to be _touched_. She imagined warm skin nestled close to hers. An embrace that promised safety and unconditional love. The person she imagined however, was not the one she had expected.

She wrapped a dressing gown around herself and, in the middle of the night, she took to wandering the castle halls. She had no idea which way to go, but trusted that her heart would take her where she longed to be. The floor was cold beneath her bare feet. She made no sound as she walked. She was like a shadow – a ghost – passing through. Somewhere she heard music. Following the sound, she came to stand outside a set of double doors. The music came from inside. It sounded like strings. Sarah pondered if maybe she should turn back, but if she knocked lightly, perhaps it would not disturb him? She took a deep breath and raised her right hand. Before it even touched the wooden surface, one of the doors swung open to let her in.

Perched on the window ledge was Jareth, playing the violin. He had stripped himself of his jacket, wearing only a white shirt and black pants. His eyes were closed, too focused on the melody he was playing to notice her. There were no gloves on his hands, which enabled him to feel the strings beneath his fingers. It was a rather sad song, but beautiful nonetheless. Apart from the violin, the only thing you could hear in the room was the crackling of the fire in the hearth to her left. The pleasant heat radiated through the stone floor, warming her cold feet and they carried her further into the room. The door closed without a sound behind her. He still had no idea she was there and Sarah thought that, in a way, she'd rather keep it like that. All she wanted was to hear him play, but after a moment she gave in, lest she'd start crying because the tune was making her so sad.

"I didn't know you played any instruments," she spoke softly, hopefully making her presence known without startling him. He stopped playing and opened his eyes. They were just as sad as the song. His voice was hoarse and quiet when he spoke.

"Does that surprise you?" She offered a timid smile.

"No. Not really. It's beautiful," she added, thinking she ought to give him a compliment. She was truly impressed that he was able to play faultlessly without even seeing what he was doing. Instead, he felt it. "You're very talented." He bowed his head to show his appreciation.

"Thank you." He stood and put the violin back in its stand. "It's late," he remarked.

"I couldn't sleep. Nor can you, I take it?" He smiled wearily.

"I haven't slept properly in thirteen years." He said it as if it were of no import. Like it would never matter how well he slept. But she could see it now; how exhausted he was. Especially from the way he slumped down in one of the two chairs in front of the fireplace. He was tired and not just physically speaking. He was tired of chasing after something he knew he could never have. Tired of living up to expectations. Tomorrow, both of their lives would go on as they always had and Sarah quickly realized that Jareth's really wasn't much of a life. Unlike Sarah, he had obligations. You'd think that a king was free. That a king got everything he wanted. Could take it by force if necessary. And yet… this one did not.

Sarah walked up to the second chair. "May I?" she asked, gesturing to the empty seat.

"By all means." With his permission, she settled down comfortably and gazed into the fire. After a moment, Jareth spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Sarah." He didn't look her way, thusly missing out on her puzzled expression.

"Sorry for what?"

"For everything. For acting like scum. For dragging you along on this quest and for the way you've been treated." Sarah shook her head.

"Hey, you never forced me to go with you. That was _my_ choice. Sure, you acted like scum when you were trying to get me here, but… you've changed, Jareth. And you've saved me more than just once and I've seen so many things and so many places. Without you, that would never have been possible."

Without warning, she rose from her seat and he involuntarily shifted in his. What was she doing? Not asking permission this time, she sat down in his lap. At this, he leaned further back in his chair. This was most unexpected. She grabbed a few strands of blond hair between her fingers and felt the texture. "Sarah?" he whispered, reminding himself to breathe. She smiled and continued stroking his hair.

"A man once told me he could give me my dreams, so long as I agreed to submit to him. I think he was afraid. He knew that he had no power over me and it frightened him, because power and control was all he had ever known. But I believe he accepts it now."

Jareth looked down, ashamed. He had been cruel, hadn't he? No matter what he told himself, he could never justify his actions. She was right. Perhaps he could have given her all she ever dreamt of, but it would have meant nothing and it would have continued to mean nothing until he had learned what was really important. He couldn't control her and why should he? Wasn't her free spirit the very thing that had drawn him to her from the beginning? No one could control Sarah and he had been a fool to try. If anything, _he_ was the one under _her_ control. He accepted that he had no power over her and he wouldn't have it – wouldn't have _her_ – any other way.

He brushed his hand against the side of her face and down her neck. "I did ask for too much, didn't I?" he questioned and his hand stopped by her collarbone.

"Then ask again," she urged him. She was giving him a second chance. An incredulous smile crossed his lips.

"Don't tell me you want to stay now, Precious?" He was taking precautions. If she was only playing him, then she was crueller than he thought. But there was no hint of deceit on her features. She was being earnest.

"If it means I get to be with you…" She leaned in closer to his face. "… then I want to stay forever."

Was this a dream? Had he fallen asleep in front of the fire? It was an illusion, wasn't it? She wasn't really there. And yet, she felt so real. "I thought you said you didn't belong here." He was looking for any reason that she wasn't real. That it was only that wicked spirit again trying to fool him. She placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart.

" _This_ is where I belong."

It started off slow, her lips coming down on his. Just a little peck. When she received no response other than a shaky breath, she drew back to look into his eyes again. He was petrified and she found the effect she had on him rather amusing. "Am I making you tremble?" she asked.

"Heaven knows you're the only one who could. You bewitch me, Sarah. You need only look at me and you have me under your spell. Smile at me and I am overcome with glorious joy. Touch me… and I am completely at your mercy."

"And if I say I love you?" She wanted to know how he would react and it seemed to bring him relief, for she felt him relax and saw him smile.

"Then I shall promise to be forever yours and yours alone." To her surprise, it made her feel relieved, too. All this time, she had told herself that she couldn't have it. But now she would take it.

"Then I love you," she said. "More than I ever thought possible." His next words did not come as a surprise, but she was moved all the same.

"I love you too, Sarah."

At last, all of their repressed feelings were bared and the boundaries were gone. This time, both of them initiated the kiss and their lips met halfway. Jareth's hand went to the back of her head, bringing her face closer to deepen the kiss. There was a hunger inside him only she could sate. But the more he tasted her, the hungrier he got and Sarah sensed it. Her hands moved down his chest slowly, taking in every inch of him. Her hands clutched the fabric of his shirt and their lips parted for a brief moment so she could pull it over his head, revealing his lithe form underneath.

She changed position to sit astride his legs, facing him head-on. Untying the ribbon around her waist, she eased her arms out of the dressing gown and let the white silk and lace fall quietly to the floor. The nightgown she wore underneath was made of the same thin silk and lace and the straps fell down her shoulders as she leaned in to cup his face. But instead of kissing him, she simply closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. She could feel his breath warm on her mouth and, eyes still closed, she captured his lips again.

He was still waiting for the moment he would wake up. Any second now. He felt her heart beating in time with his, running faster by the second. Following the curve of her body, Jareth moved his hands down to her thighs and felt her body shiver in response to his touch. Grabbing her thighs, he raised himself from the chair with ease, like she weighed nothing. Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and planted sweet kisses on his face. Kisses that drove him completely wild.

Finally, he laid her down on the bed, still tangled in her embrace. He kissed her neck and any naked spot he could find, not wanting to leave anything untouched. He needed her to know that he loved every single part of her. The touch of his lips on her skin was electrifying, making her fell all warm inside. But it wasn't enough. She craved more.

Grabbing one of his hands, she urged him to touch her. One hand slid underneath her gown, swiftly followed by the other. Knowing what was going to happen – what she _wanted_ to happen – it felt like the very first time. The thrill. The fear. The _desire._ And that desire was stronger now than ever before. She was losing her innocence all over again and it was all his for the taking. One thing was certain: it was too late to turn back. But then, she didn't want to.

* * *

 **A/N: Bet you didn't see that coming, did you? ;) Or maybe you did, I don't know? I just really struggled with writing this last part, simply because I've never written anything like it before and because I had no idea how far I was willing to go. I have to confess that my first draft was slightly more explicit and I know that would have been okay since this story is rated M, but in the end I decided to tone it down just a little bit. It just felt safer and I didn't have to step too far out of my comfort zone. As always, sorry for the long wait, but I hope it was worth it! I think there will be two more chapters of this story, so watch out for those. ;)**


	21. Silver Lining

_Our lives are stories_

 _Waiting to be told_

 _In search of silver linings_

 _We discovered gold_

 _\- Sinners_ by Lauren Aquilina

* * *

A light breeze swept in through the window, caressing Sarah's cheek. Even with her eyes closed, she could tell that it was a bright, sunny day. But she didn't want to get out of bed. Not just yet. Entangled in the warm sheets and with her head comfortably resting on a pillow that smelled just like him, how could she?

Dying to see him again, she let her eyes flutter open. His back was turned to her and the room was bathing in golden sunlight, making his body and hair glow divinely. Sarah rubbed the sleep out of her eyes to get a clearer vision. _His hair._

Startled, she sat up and clutched the sheets to her body. The wild long hair was gone. It was still blond, but… shorter. _Much_ shorter. No longer untamed, but looked all the more soft.

Sarah's heart beat fast out of fear. Who exactly was she in bed with? Had it all been just another dream? She looked around for evidence and found that she was still in the king's bedchamber. It couldn't be a dream. It just couldn't.

Feeling slightly more assured, she looked down on his sleeping form again and cautiously stirred him. "Jareth," she said quietly and continued stirring him until he began to move. Slowly, he rolled onto the other side and gazed up at her with a tired, yet satisfied smile.

"Good morning," he purred and the sound of his voice was all the more reassuring.

"Err, good morning," she said, not entirely sure how she was going to break it to him, as it appeared he was completely unaware. Behind him, there was a mirror, and she figured it was better if he simply saw for himself. "Um… Jareth, I think you should turn around." As his brows furrowed in confusion, she noticed they were no longer angled upward. With a nod to the mirror, she gestured for him to have a look. His confusion notwithstanding, Jareth sat up and did as asked.

He could hardly believe his eyes. Could hardly believe that he was looking at himself and not a stranger. Sarah watched as he reached up with both hands to touch his hair and face. Their eyes met in the mirror and when he turned to face her again, Sarah had to feel for herself. First, she touched his hair. She was right. It did feel softer. Otherwise it was just the same as before. Her hand moved to cup his cheek and she looked into his eyes: one blue, the other green. The markings around them had disappeared and she felt a slight disappointment. She had really come to love his otherworldly features. But he was still her goblin king. He was still Jareth.

"It really _is_ you."

"It really is," Jareth confirmed and they both smiled. Sarah was too full of emotions to grasp what had just happened.

"But… I don't understand. You said… You said you weren't worthy." He merely nodded.

"Yes. I _wasn't_ worthy. Until last night." She studied him with wary perplexity. Was he implying what she thought he was? Surely that couldn't be the case.

"Wait, you mean…? It's not because we…?" He was quick to shake his head at the assumption.

"No, not that. It's not what we did. It's what you _said._ " Unfortunately, she still wasn't following. What had she said? "Sarah, do you know which the most ancient and most powerful magic of all is? The one magic that, no matter the obstacles, always endures?" Suddenly, it all became clear to her. She had said a lot of things to Jareth last night, but there were three special words that outdid them all.

"Love," she whispered as a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye.

"And not just any love," he said. "Only a man who had found and earned _true_ love could ever be worthy of the effects of those waters." This new revelation made her realize the weight of it all. Only a week ago, the very idea of true love would have seemed childish to her. Like something out of a fairy tale. Something she had dreamed of finding as a little girl.

"And you were willing to bet that that's what we had?" she asked. She hadn't exactly made it easy for him and true love was such a rare thing. In spite of this, even with all odds against him, he had never lost hope.

"I had to," he confessed with a simple shrug. "There was nothing else I could do."

"But what about your sister?" Surely true love existed within family as well? Sarah's love for her parents and, not least for Toby, was _more_ than true. That much she knew. "Does her love not count?"

"I told you: she hates me." She chuckled at his quip and lightly slapped his arm.

"I don't believe that."

"No," he said, "but it had to be the love earned from someone outside the familial bonds." She rolled her eyes.

"Why am I not surprised? Magic is so complicated. Who even makes these rules?" He chuckled right back.

"I really don't know." She didn't expect him to, either, and frankly, she didn't even care. Her happiness far outweighed her worries, which were long since gone.

Sarah heaved a sigh. "Well, Your Majesty. What do we do now?" She saw the smirk in his eyes long before it reached his lips.

"What is this lack of imagination I hear? Sarah, you're naked in bed with a highly attractive king. Surely you can think of _something?_ "

"And how am I supposed to use my imagination when you keep giving me such leading questions?" she replied playfully before he placed his lips on hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck to bring him in closer and in the next moment, she was lying on her back, stealing tender kisses.

His hand started running down her body and just as he was about to get to the place where she wanted to feel him, there was a gentle knock on the door. Jareth stopped in his tracks and their lips broke apart. Had they heard right? The sound had been so faint. Then it came again, slightly louder this time. Jareth gave an exasperated sigh and simply hugged Sarah tighter. Nothing was going to ruin this moment. "Let's just pretend we didn't hear that," he said, burying his face in the hollow of her neck. Sarah _wanted_ to pretend, but simply couldn't ignore the knocks as they came a third time around. She tried to wriggle free of her lover's embrace.

"As much as I'd like to stay in bed with you, I fear that whoever is at the door won't just simply leave if you don't answer, but will walk in on this rather intimate scene instead." She felt his grip loosen, followed by a heavy sigh. She was right and he knew it.

"Yes, that would be rather awkward, wouldn't it?" Reluctantly, he sat up and snapped his fingers, then rolled his eyes when nothing happened. "Right. I can't use magic to dress myself anymore." That was going to take some getting used to. "Where are my trousers?" He looked over Sarah's side of the bed and, sure enough, there they were, lying on the floor. Sarah reached down to pick them up.

"You mean these?" she asked and held them up in front of him.

"Yes, of course I mean those," he said, rather impatiently. "Give them to me." Sarah pursed her lips to keep from smiling, but it was a futile attempt. She was enjoying this far too much.

"Not until you say the right words." Her eyes gleamed with mischief. There was a fourth knock on the door, this time followed by the voice of a worried goblin.

" _Sire, are you all right?_ " Jareth began to panic.

"Yes, I'm fine!" he called loudly enough for the goblin to hear. "Just give me a moment! Sarah, give them here _right now,_ " he demanded and made a grab for the black tights, but she kept them well out of his reach.

"Say your right words," she teased in a singsong voice and, realizing it was the only way he would get his pants, Jareth gave in.

"I wish you would give me my trousers," he pronounced clearly, but it wasn't enough. Sarah raised a brow, waiting for that last and most crucial part. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes again and instead snapped in a hushed tone, " _Right now_!"

Satisfied, Sarah handed them over and he snatched them from her grip, but not without giving her a wry smile. He pulled the tights on, made his way over to the door and opened it. It was Fidget who had come to wake his sovereign. The goblin looked up with big, round eyes, half concerned – half terrified. Hopefully, his master would see that he was only making sure nothing had happened and refrain from sending his messenger to the Bog for disturbing his sleep.

"Good morning, Sire," Fidget said, trying to sound cheerful. Then he noticed that there was something different about the tall man standing in the doorway before him. He tilted his head to the side, looking down and then back up, trying to discern exactly what it was. Maybe it was just the lack of garments that tricked the little goblin into thinking there was something amiss? No, something was most definitely wrong. Jareth was rather amused by the sheer look of bewilderment on his messenger's face.

"Fidget, if you came here simply to ogle me, then I would kindly ask you to take your leave." Fidget locked his eyes on Jareth's face again and came back to his senses. _That's_ where the problem was!

"Sire, your _hair!_ " Fidget exclaimed and pointed.

"Yes, thank you for the enlightenment," Jareth replied with irony and shot Sarah a sideways glance as he heard her snigger. Thankfully, Fidget did not notice the discrete gesture and remained oblivious to the fact that the king had a maiden in his bed. Eager to get to the point, Jareth asked, "Fidget, why have you come here?"

"I came to make sure Your Majesty was all right. You've been asleep for so long that you've missed almost the entire morning." Jareth nodded. That was understandable.

"I do apologize for causing you any form of worry. I can assure you that I'm just fine." He gave the goblin a genuine smile. Fidget seemed to appreciate that and relaxed. Then he remembered the other errand he had come for.

"I also came to tell you, Sire, that the High King and Queen are waiting for you in the throne room."

" _What?!_ " Fidget flinched at the raised voice and hastened to cover his tiny face with his scrawny arms. He expected his king to kick him like he so often did whenever he was in a bad mood, but to his surprise, the king did no such thing. He simply stood there, looking quite distressed. "What are _they_ doing here?"

"I don't know, Sire," Fidget answered him honestly. "All I know is that they wish to speak with you." Jareth groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Very well, go ahead and tell them I'll be there shortly." At this, Fidget finally dared to let his guard down and wiped his brow.

"Of course, Sire." The goblin bowed and left.

Jareth closed the door and let his head fall against the hard wood. From the corner of his eye he saw Sarah, who was leaning back against the headboard. She gave him a sympathetic look. "I guess our alone time is over."

"I'm afraid so," he said and pushed himself away from the door. "I had better put on something a bit more decent." He stalked off towards another door and Sarah craned her neck to see him step into what looked like quite an extensive walk-in closet. Amused, she watched him go through various garments to find the right thing to wear. He decided on a simple black shirt and changed into another pair of pants. On his way out, he grabbed a pair of maroon boots and put them on.

"Goblin King, you are a true fashionista."

"Was that a compliment?" he asked and she gathered he had not heard of the newly coined term.

"Sure," she said and was glad that he smiled back.

"I'll be back soon," he promised. "Wait here." He didn't give her time to answer before he left the room and she was all alone. The door to the closet had been left open. Her lips curved into a smirk. _Time to have some fun._

Waking up this morning, Jareth had been so happy. Seeing Sarah's face, feeling the closeness and warmth of her body next to him… It was more than he ever could have hoped for. His dream had come true. He should have known it wouldn't take long for that bliss to turn back into the misery he had grown so accustomed to. Why couldn't his parents just leave him be?

When he reached the throne room, he was surprised to find that it had been emptied of goblins. The only two souls he was met by were his parents in the middle of an intimate conversation. They stopped at the sound of his approaching steps and when their eyes fell on him, there was nothing shocking about their reaction. His mother looked close to horrified. "What's happened to your hair?" she all but gasped. Jareth shrugged nonchalantly.

"I suppose it was too extravagant for mortal standards." There was a pause, then his mother started to speak again.

"So… you mean…?" She was having trouble getting the words out, but her husband spared her the trouble. Unlike his wife, Riordan did not display a look of horror or even dismay. It was _worse_ than that. His face was taut with unreleased anger, like a pot filled with boiling water, but with the lid still in place. Jareth sensed it was only a matter of time before that lid would come flying off. When Riordan spoke, his voice was low and level.

"My son. A mortal." Jareth did not make a sound, but stared blankly at his father. "How did this happen? I thought you said it didn't work."

"And I was telling you the truth."

"Then _how_ is it possible?" Riordan inquired, raising his voice. The lid was about to come off any moment now.

"You know how," Jareth said. "You know the legend."

"And that's all it is! A _legend!_ " his father scoffed. Lyanna placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"What other explanation do you have?" she asked him softly. He merely shrugged her hand off.

" _I refuse to believe it!_ " he exclaimed and his face was starting to turn red. "Don't tell me it's because of that girl?" Jareth didn't have to say anything. His father already knew. "I don't believe it. If it did not work from the beginning, then why would it _now?_ No matter," he added before Jareth could reply. "It is of no import. My one and only son has done the unthinkable and made a fool of himself _and_ his father in the process."

The High King stepped forward, looking his son directly in the eyes. "You could have done so much better."

"Believe me," Jareth said, "I could never have done better." He must have known it was a bad thing to say, because he did not seem surprised in the least when his father slapped him across the face. He accepted the stinging pain and wore the red mark with pride, for he knew that he had finally done the right thing.

" _Riordan!_ " Lyanna admonished, perfectly outraged at her husband. " _That's our son!_ " Defiantly, Jareth raised his gaze once more and he saw a silent tear running down his old man's face.

"I have no son," he whispered.

" _Hey!_ " a voice called from behind them. It was Sarah. She came rushing to Jareth's side. And she was wearing _his_ clothes, he noted. A royal blue silk shirt that was a little too big for her and a pair of his black breeches which were fitted somewhat loosely around her legs. Without hesitation, she came to stand right in between him and his father. Riordan looked genuinely perplexed, but quickly regained his monumental demeanour.

"You!" he said, looking down on her. "What is _sh_ e still doing here?" he inquired of Jareth, demanding an answer.

"What does it look like?" Jareth replied smoothly. His father could put two and two together. The old king looked back to the woman before him. She matched Jareth in her defiance; eyes burning. But he would not let that intimidate him.

"Get out of the way," he commanded. "This is none of your concern."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," she said, "but no. I won't stand by and watch you reject your son. Because you know what? He doesn't deserve it."

Jareth was amazed (and proud) at how Sarah had accomplished the one thing he never could: she had rendered his father speechless. No one below his rang had ever spoken to him in that way before. It was either foolish or very brave. They all waited with bated breath for the High King's reaction.

"So this is how you want it to end? Is this to be my legacy?" Lyanna placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder.

"I think, my love, that you needn't worry about your legacy. You already have four grandchildren, after all. And should there be more, that's something I wouldn't say no to." Here, she smiled knowingly at Sarah, who quickly looked down to hide her blush. The elder woman regarded the younger with respect. "Do you really love him?" she asked.

"I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't," Sarah answered earnestly. That seemed to settle it.

"Then you will have to forgive me, dear husband, but I believe Sarah is right. Our son deserves to be happy and he deserves true love. And, in my eyes, Sarah has proven to be a most remarkable young woman. Any woman who dares stand up to you _has_ to be. Therefore… I give them my blessing."

Jareth voiced a silent thank you to his mother and took one step forward to stand beside Sarah. The High King regarded the two with an unreadable expression. For the first time in his life, he had no idea what to say. "And you are absolutely certain that she is the one you want?" he finally asked. "You could have had anyone." Jareth cocked his head to the side.

"Perhaps. But I don't think it would have made me happy. I love Sarah more than anything." He gazed fondly at the woman in question and pulled her closer to him. "And there is proof that she loves me in return. And that's all I've ever asked for." Riordan nodded resignedly.

"Very well," he said. "Then there is nothing I can do to stop you." He finally accepted defeat and maybe it was just as well, for it was certainly worth the warm embrace he received from his long lost son.

"Thank you, Father," Jareth whispered, teary-eyed, and he found the others to be in the same condition. Sarah took his hand and gave it a loving squeeze. Happy endings did exist, when all was said and done. But there was still one tiny problem left.

"But who will take after your throne?" Riordan asked. "You can't stay in the Underground anymore and no one in the family is old enough yet to be crowned." Sarah had not even thought about it, but was sure Jareth must have. He couldn't just leave his kingdom behind without a ruler, could he?

"I have given it some thought," he admitted. "Though I'm not certain Father would agree, but… Until someone can take on the mantle as Goblin King, I suggest that the kingdom be turned into a temporary democracy with elected representatives." The proposition was unexpected to say the least, even for Sarah.

"That's very bold of you," she said. "Are you sure your denizens can handle it?" For once, Riordan actually agreed with the young lady.

"They are goblins, after all," he pointed out and Jareth knew what he meant. Even with a dozen goblins combined, their brain capacity would never exceed his own. Still, they had managed pretty well without a king for a week. But there were _other_ creatures inhabiting his realm.

"To run a kingdom takes courage, patience and good will," Jareth said. "And I happen to know three candidates whom I believe are perfect for the job." He winked at Sarah and she smiled. She thought it was a perfect idea.

Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus were ceremoniously brought before the High King and Queen to be evaluated. Upon first glance, the unlikely trio was less than impressive; a dwarf, a yeti and the smallest knight they had ever seen. It was not the image of natural born leaders. But they soon learned that they possessed all those qualities which Jareth had described. Together, they would make sure there was order as well as benevolence. The High King and Queen gave them their blessing and promised to return shortly for further arrangements and discussion before taking their leave. Once again, Jareth and Sarah had some explaining to do and told the trio about their newly confessed love for each other. Ludo and Didymus were quick to express their joy for the couple. For Hoggle, it was a completely different case. He shook his head in disbelief and left the throne room without as much as a word. Sarah called after him.

"Hoggle!" But her friend wouldn't listen. He was out the door before she could call out again. Jareth urged her to follow him.

"Go," he told her. He had almost expected this sort of reaction from the dwarf. After all, they had never been on good terms with each other. Sarah hurried to catch up and found him outside the castle.

"Hoggle, wait! Let me explain!" He did not stop, nor did he turn his head when he finally voiced his thoughts.

"I don't want no explanation. I just want to know at what point you switched sides." Sarah finally caught up with him and blocked his path, forcing him to stop and look up at her. She was taller now than thirteen years ago.

"Switched sides?" she asked. "This isn't some battle between good and evil."

"Then what is it? I thought you hated him?" With a sigh, she sunk down to her knees so she could look him in the face.

"I did," she confessed. "But he's changed. And so have I."

"Sarah, we're talking about the man who used me – _twice_ – and threatened to throw me in the Bog of eternal stench! _And_ he kidnapped your brother!"

"Only because I asked him to," she said, remembering his words to her all those years ago. The disappearance of Toby had been her own fault, but she had taken responsibility for her mistakes. "And yes, I know he's done horrible things, but trust me, he wouldn't do anything like that now." Hoggle looked into her eyes, contemplating her words. "Will you forgive me?" she asked after a moment of silence and it was enough to make him give in.

"Oh, what the heck?" he said. "I could never stay mad at you." Sarah beamed and threw her arms around him. "But if he does anything to hurt you, I promise I'll kill 'im." She laughed with mirth.

"I believe you."

* * *

 **A/N: All right, folks, there's only one more chapter to go now. Had you expected this kind of plot twist? ;) I know it might be cliché, but personally I do believe love to be the most powerful thing in the world. You can blame Once Upon A Time for making me write the story in this way. This means, of course, that Sarah and Jareth will return to the real world and what happens there is something you will have to stick around to find out. ;)**


	22. Home At Last

_'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone_

 _Is where you go when you're alone_

 _Is where you go to rest your bones_

 _It's not just where you lay your head_

 _It's not just where you make your bed_

 _As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?_

 _\- Home_ by Gabrielle Aplin

* * *

When the goblins found out that their king was leaving, there were cries of protest and passionate pleas for him to stay. Jareth found himself strangely moved by their display of concern and reassured them that he would come back and visit every once in a while. Sarah promised she would come with him as well. That seemed to considerably cheer them up. Her friends expected no less of her, either.

"You'll come and see us sometime, won't you?" Hoggle asked carefully, afraid she would say no.

"Of course I will," Sarah assured him. Her things were packed and she was good to go, as was Jareth. They were all gathered in the throne room to say their goodbyes.

"Contact us if there's anything you're wondering about," Jareth told his newly elected representatives. "You know how to. And if things go awry, do not hesitate to notify me. And you can always ask the High King and Queen for guidance, though I would advise you not to bother them unless completely necessary." The three of them nodded in response.

"Fear not, Your Highness," Didymus said. "We swear on our very lives to protect this kingdom at all costs." Jareth smiled at them.

"I know you will." He turned his attention to Sarah. "Ready to go?" When she nodded, he took out the black stone she had used to get to the Underground and held it in his palm. "Take my hand," he instructed and she did. The rough edges of the stone dug into the flesh of their intertwined hands.

"And now?" Sarah asked, waiting for further instructions.

"Now I trust you will take us to the right place." He believed in her. He always had.

Sarah closed her eyes and concentrated on picturing their destination. Slowly, she felt the energy envelop the both of them, pulling them through space and time. She held on tight to Jareth so as not to lose him and, with a sharp intake of breath, she opened her eyes again.

"Are you two getting on?"

Teleporting from another realm had made her dizzy, but Sarah recognized her surroundings, as well as the voice that spoke to her. She looked up at the bus driver and shook her head.

"No, we're not. You go on ahead." The driver shrugged and closed the doors before pulling away from the bus stop. Jareth stared after the vehicle as it sped down the road.

"Your means of transportation are most peculiar." Sarah chuckled and thought about all the other things he was certain to find peculiar within the near future.

"I know. Now, come on. My apartment is just up ahead."

Retrieving her keys, Sarah unlocked the front door and was immediately greeted by a familiar scent as she stepped into the hallway. _Grilled cheese sandwiches._ "Oh no," she said.

"What?" Jareth asked and the sound of his voice made her jump. He was standing right behind her.

"Sarah, is that you?"

"That," Sarah explained. Not a second later, Darren emerged from the kitchen, donning his "kiss the cook" apron. Out of pure instinct, Jareth snapped his fingers to make himself disappear and cursed under his breath when it didn't work. He could not count on magic to solve his problems anymore.

"Sarah! You're back! I…" Darren stopped in his tracks at the sight of Jareth. "Sarah, who is this?"

Sarah fought to get any words out of her mouth. She realized how bad this whole situation made her look. Technically, she hadn't actually broken up with Darren yet, though in her mind they were over since a couple of days back now. And here she was, in their apartment, together with another man whom she had just recently confessed her love to. Never before had she experienced this level of awkwardness in her life.

"Um, Darren, this is Jareth. He's, uh…"

"Your new beau?" He had already figured it out. Sarah pursed her lips and nodded slowly, too ashamed to look him in the eye. "So I was right, then. You _were_ cheating on me." To her surprise, he didn't sound angry. Only disappointed. She couldn't tell which was worse.

"Darren, I'm sorry. It's complicated and I don't know how I would ever be able to explain, so… All I can say is that I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Darren shook his head.

"No one can explain why they fall in or out of love. It just happens. I'm just glad that you decided to tell me." If Sarah was at a loss for words before, it was nothing compared to now.

But she didn't have to say anything more.

Instead, she hugged him and he did not push her away. He did pull back however, after a little while. "Damn it, Williams," he said. "I really like you a lot. I tried to stay mad at you, but I just couldn't. I thought about calling, but you said you didn't want me to, so…" He shrugged. "I guess I didn't want to make things worse." Sarah was relieved to hear that. If Darren hadn't tried to call her or contacted her family, then that probably meant they had not reported her missing.

"I appreciate it," she said. "And for the record, you should know I like you, too. I always did." She wanted him to know that. He deserved as much from her.

"Good to know the feeling's mutual. I just have to accept that there's someone else you like a little bit more." He glanced over Sarah's shoulder, meeting Jareth's eyes for the first time. Then he extended his hand to him. "It's nice to meet you – Jareth, was it? Sarah doesn't fall for just anyone, so you must be…" He trailed off as his eyes scanned Jareth's unusual outfit. "…something special," he finished awkwardly, trying not to stare at the provokingly tight breeches. Jareth accepted Darren's hand and gave it a firm, but friendly shake.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. And I know. It took me a while to win her favour." Darren smiled knowingly as realization dawned on him.

"Ah," he said, looking back at Sarah. "Now I get it. It's the accent, isn't it? What is it about women and guys with British accents?" Sarah shrugged.

"I don't know." All she could think of was how cool Darren was with the situation and how both men were able to act so civil around each other. It amazed her beyond all knowledge.

Darren dropped the smile and turned his gaze to the floor. "I suppose this means you're moving out, then?" Sarah nodded regretfully.

"Yeah, I suppose." She hadn't thought about it until now, but with Jareth in the picture of her ordinary life, things were going to get rather complicated. At least at the start. First of all, they needed a place to stay until they could get their own permanent home. There was really only one option, considering she was the only one with an income. She wouldn't be able to provide for the both of them for very long. Jareth would have to get his own job eventually. Until that happened, they would have to stay at the Williams residence.

Sarah returned from her train of thought and asked Jareth to follow her to the bedroom where she could grab some of her things. She would have to return for the rest some other day. As she looked through one of her drawers, she found something rather odd. Holding it between her fingers, Sarah couldn't believe her eyes. "No way," she said in awe. Jareth came to see what she had found.

"What is it?"

"It's an identification card!" she announced with glee and held it in front of his face. " _Your_ identification card!" Jareth didn't understand the hype.

"Why would I need an identification card?"

"Everyone has one," Sarah explained and took a closer look at the card. It had a picture of him and everything, just the way he looked now. "This is incredible! You have no idea how much trouble this is going to save us! The magic in the Labyrinth must have procured it or something. Look, it says you're from the UK and your last name is Jones." Jareth frowned at the name.

"Jones? If I'm going to have a last name, it's certainly not going to be Jones." Sarah gave him a light shove.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad. I actually like it."

"Well, if you ask me, Williams is far better." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. "If I'm not mistaken, there is a way to change it to that."

"We'll get there eventually," Sarah reassured and kissed him back before turning her attention to another urgent matter. "Now, about your clothes…" Jareth looked down at himself, feeling pleased with his choice of garments. He looked regal and elegant.

"What about them?" he asked.

"No offense, Your Highness, but if you're gonna live in this world, you're gonna have to dress accordingly. Before you object," she added before he could speak his mind, "I'm not saying you have to abandon your style completely, but this isn't the 18th century. Wait here," she said and left the room, but returned not a minute later. "Darren said you could borrow his clothes." She threw him a plain black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Jareth looked at them with blatant distaste.

"You want me to wear _this?_ "

"I promise we'll go shopping tomorrow, but this will have to do for now. Stop whining and get changed." Reluctantly, Jareth complied, though he admired Sarah's headstrong determination. He would put on a potato sack if only to please her.

* * *

It was almost six in the evening when the doorbell rang at the Williams family. None of them were expecting any guests and Karen muttered to herself as she went to get the door. "If it's another one of those door-to-door salesmen, I will surely go mad." Imagine her surprise when her step-daughter stood on the porch together with a man she had never seen before. "Sarah! What a pleasant surprise!" She went in for a hug. "We haven't heard from you in a while." Sarah gave a shrug.

"I've been a little busy." They heard footsteps coming down the stairs, followed by the sound of a fatherly voice.

"Sarah? Is that you?" Robert Williams came to stand by his wife. He smiled at his daughter. "How are you, kiddo?"

"I'm fine, dad," Sarah said, smiling back. Then her father noticed the man standing behind her.

"And who might this be?"

Sarah took a step to the side and pulled on Jareth's arm, dragging him forward. "Dad, Karen… I'd like you to meet Jareth. My new boyfriend." Robert raised his brows in surprise.

"Your new…?" He looked at Jareth, who smiled awkwardly. "You've broken up with Darren?"

"Yeah. I know it may come as a shock. Quite frankly, I'm surprised myself. It all happened so fast." Karen nodded in understanding.

"Why don't you come in and we can talk about it over dinner? I'll have it ready in a few minutes." Sarah agreed that it was a good idea and so they stepped into the front hall. Jareth shook hands with her parents.

"Thank you, Mr. Williams. Mrs. Williams. I've been looking forward to meeting you. It's a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all ours," Karen said, impressed by Jareth's impeccable manners. "If you'll excuse me, I have to make sure our dinner doesn't get burned." And she rushed off to the kitchen.

"Is Toby at home?" Sarah asked her father.

"Yeah, he's home. Probably up in his room playing video games. Toby!" he called for the boy. "Come down here for a minute! Your sister's here!" Not a second later, the distant response came from upstairs.

" _Coming!_ "

Jareth prepared himself for what was to come. The last time he had seen the boy, he had been but a babe, unable to form a coherent word. And now he could hear his voice; the voice of a boy on the cusp of manhood.

Not a minute later, the lad came flying down the stairs and into his sister's arms. It constantly surprised Sarah how he could always be so happy to see her. But she was glad for it. "Hey sis."

"Hey kid. There's someone here I'd like you to meet. Say hi to Jareth."

Once Toby had made himself free of his sister's embrace, Jareth could finally get a proper look at him. He was astonished by every aspect of the boy; his dark blond, curly hair; the small freckles on his nose; the piercing blue eyes… not to mention his height! Sarah had not been lying about that.

The two of them stared at each other for a while. "Hi," Toby said eventually and gave Jareth his hand.

"Hello, Toby. Your sister has told me so much about you." Toby looked back and forth between them, trying to figure this puzzle out.

"Wait, are you…?" Was it a long shot? There was only one way to find out. "Sarah, did you dump Darren?"

"You could say that, yes. I met someone new. You're not disappointed, are you?" She would hate for him to be disappointed in her. To her relief, he shook his head.

"No. Of course not. It's just…" He hesitated. "This is probably gonna sound weird, but I feel like we've met before," he said to Jareth and, for fear of being ridiculed, added; "But that can't be possible." Jareth merely smiled.

"Young man," he said, "everything is possible."

Luckily, Sarah had made a story up in advance as to how she and Jareth had met and no one questioned her, thankfully. She was only grateful for the response Jareth seemed to be getting from her family. They were immediately drawn to his charisma and charm and polite manners. After dinner, Karen took Sarah aside, giving her approval. "I probably shouldn't say this, because Darren _was_ quite a catch, but Jareth? If I were you, Sarah, I wouldn't ever let him out of my sight. I don't know, it's almost like he's from another world." Sarah kept herself from laughing out loud.

"I'll try to remember that."

After Sarah first moved out, her old room had been renovated and made into a guestroom with a bed for two. Considering the circumstances, it was perfect, and both Robert and Karen were all right with them staying for as long as they needed. In fact, they seemed thrilled. But Sarah was determined not to stay longer than necessary and she told Jareth this as they slipped underneath the covers. "You know you're going to have to get a job, right?" Jareth didn't really want to think about it at the moment, but nodded in acknowledgement.

"I understand that I will need to find an occupation in order to provide for the two of us, yes."

"Maybe you could give violin lessons for starters?" Sarah suggested. "You did bring the violin, didn't you?"

"It's in my bag," he said and pointed to the item on the floor.

"Your Mary Poppins-bag," Sarah said and chuckled. "That's going to be useful for traveling. I won't have to worry about the amount of clothes I bring."

"And do you think you will be needing more than me?" She chuckled again.

"Probably not. So what did you think about Toby?"

"He's certainly grown since I last saw him," Jareth admitted, though that was a given. "Seeing him again reminded me just how quickly time flies. It reminded me of my nieces and nephews. Of how much I've missed out on." Sarah crept in closer to him, resting her head next to his shoulder.

"You must miss them a lot." He sighed.

"I do."

"Me too," she said. "We'll go back and visit them soon." Jareth smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm sure we will." Of this, he was certain. And he knew that everything was going to be fine. His whole future lay ahead of him; a future he did not intend to miss out on. There would be hardships, no doubt. But the sun would always come out again. No matter what happened, they would get by. No matter where they were – so long as they were together – they would be home.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I can finally set this story as complete! It's taken me over a year to write it and it's been a bumpy ride. I was off to a good start, but as life gets in the way, you're forced to put things on hold. And I kind of lost inspiration towards the end to boot, but I was inspired enough to finish it and I hope it was worth it. For me, this fic has been a milestone. It's the longest piece of writing I have ever done (and in my second language no less!) which is an accomplishment in and of itself. I sure enjoyed writing it and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. A big thank you to all my lovely readers! Now I'm off to writing other fics ;)**


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